The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-05
LIGHT OPPOSES A BOND ISSUE

Reddick, Fla, Aug. 2, 1916.
To the Editor Ocala Star:
Here are my reasons why I will
both work and vote against the pro-
posed 100000 bond issue:s
1. 1t will cost the tax payer too
much for the benefits received.
2. We can get as good or better re-
suits for one-half the cost.
8. It will take a large amount of
cash out of the county which could
and should remain in the county.
4. The taxable wealth of the coun-
ty is liable to decrease instead of in
creasing in the future unless new
wealth producing means are introduc-t
ed, therefore, taxes may be greatly
increased
5. The increase of population in
the county does not correspond with
the increase of taxes.
6. The big question: How can we
produce more cash to pay our taxes,
live better, prove to the home-seek-
ers coming to Florida that our in
comes are large, our taxes light, and
that it will pay them to come and live
with us?
Here are my reasons:
1. The total cost (if all accounts
are met when due) for the 100000
bond issue will be $1,782,S50 for
roads, (see Mr.. Carn's, and other fig
ures), to improve LAG miles of our
hard roads and build So miles of new
roads. It will cost on an average,
$685. per mile and not one cent for
the upkeep of the ney roads.
/ am quoting from the civil engi-
neer's report: "The cost of building
new road (lime) between Oca1a and
Mcintosh was 1914 cents per lineal
foot, or $640 per mile. The cost of
the Lowell and Flemington road was
III cents per foot, or $583.2S per
mile Qime and c1ay). Ocala and
Leesburg road, S.6 cents per lineal
foot, or s439.2e per mile. The Ocala
and Dunnellon road, 1873 cents per lin
cal foot, or s69630 per mile The
oca1a and Sharp's Ferry road, 1868
per mile.''
The proposed bond issue proposes
to consume $685. per mile on an av-
erage, On principal and interest alone.
Or we can build twelve miles of lime
road like the road from Howell's,
north, (McIntosh and Ocala road, for
the same cost to build one mile of the
proposed new road. We can build
nearly fourteen miles of road, on Low
ell and Pennington road, to one mile
of the proposed new road; or eigh-
teen miles of the Ocala and Leesburg
road; or eleven miles of the Dunnel-
lon road; or twenty-one miles of the
Ocala and Sharp's Ferry road.
2. 1t will take out of the county
cash that should remain here. The
average interest. bill will be about
$4,000 per year, or 100000; the prin
cipal about $4,000 per year, or 5000,
1000, totaling $1,S0O,000. This means
taking $4,000 per month of cash from
our tax payers for the next thirty
years-never to return. We can spend
annually 800 per mile on about LOO
miles of our roads, 5000 per mile an
nua1ly on about 100 miles, or $4,000
Il xxvT,s oh, or r,l1r
poses and keep this money in circula
ton in our own county, at one-halt
the cost of the proposed new roads
/ I honestly believe that it win bt
better to spend $4,000 per year on oul
Ipresent hard roads than to send $50,
600 per year out of the county, as tht
proposed bond issue will do.
/ 3. The taxable assets are liable t.
decrease instead of increase.
The best asset we had ten years
lago. was on lumber and turpentine in
Iterests. Our vegetable interests AM
the turpentine and lumber wealth o
the county is about gone. The yege
ldulC UuSlHCSS III tnlS couAly 10 Hdlu
lly one-tenth OF what it was ten year
ago, and unelss we develop profit-prc
ducing interests corresponding to tn
lumber and turpentine interests an
the vegetable business, which we ar
losing-and our taxes will be no les
some OF us will be compelled to pa
more taxes, especially SO if we ad
, an interest bill of an average of $50
600 per year and principal bill c
$4,000 per year.
I 4. As to population and taxes: TIL
1915 census report says the increas
of population In this state during tn
) last ten years was 49.9 per cent, an