The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-28

Wv, ouU, there will
al available balance of s1O6.4o5
'of WORK on lateral roads and bridges
no' included in the bonded system
" 'ne same ratio of increase, the
assessed valuation for 1919 will ba
sS2'23s.S19, yielding without in
creased millage s257,s14.55. De-
quoting the same charges as before
amounting to slO5.OOO there will
NC an available balance of sl52e14
LOT work on lateral roads and
bridges not included in the bonded
system.
iAese hgures, remember. do not
include any increase in the assessed
'aiuaeioh IN the county by reason
OF the building of 211 miles Of hard
surfaced roads, but only the same
fatio OF increase which has accrued
Win our present roads. What the
increase will be after the proposed
system Of roads shall have been built
ana even during construction, is not
easy 10 compute but results from ad-
Joining counties have shown in
general way that this increase has
been tremendous
Before closing this article how
eVer'lt is necessary, of course. to
say something about the refunding
OF the bonds, for which in the fore
going figures no provision has been
made. 1t is believed, as has been
said already, that the commission
ers favor the plan of making the
first bond of $50, 1000 come due five
years after date and to take up 500
600 every succeeding year until
twenty such payments have been
made, thus reducing the entire bond
issue in twenty-five years from date.
This plan will enable the com
missioners to have the use of the
following amounts, which is the bal
ance of the road tax each year, after
allowing for refund to incorporated
towns and maintenance of con-
victs.
l916-$11,42200
1917 S7,035.00,
1915 6S,2S3.OO.
1919-1O6,40500
1920-152,914.0O or total OF
$976,059.0O which, if properly en-
pended, ought to put in good shape
every lateral road in the county.
In 1921, not counting any increase
whatever in assessed value and with
the same income as the previous
year, viz. s257,914.55, there will
have to be provided an extra expen-
diture of 100000 for sinking fund.
This will make the total expenoi
lures $4,000 and the available
balance 1924.
This, it is believed that 1t will
easily be seen that the bond issue
can easily be financed even without
the increase Of single mill OF
taxes over that now assessed and
that the lateral roads can also be
tken care OF much easier than with
out bond issue, because 21l miles
of roads, needing expensive and con-
slant repair, will be out of the way
for several years to come.
Absolute accuracy Is not claimed
for the foregoing figures, but as
their basis has been obtained from
an authoritative source, the con-
s;ructiye items are approximately
correct.
Only the pessimist will object to
the very conservative estimate with
regard to increased valuation and
il should be we'll understood that
this increased assessment will not
come so much from the increase In
value of property now carrying
reasonable valuation as from lands
now assessed at only a few dollars
per acre which lack of roads are not
now desirable for agricultural and
development purposes.
The taxpayer should remember
that his willingness to pay the
taxes. on which the above hgures
are based, is not asked. He is pay
ing 3 mills road tax now. He VIII
continue to pay that and more with
ont bond issue and while waiting
mill he comes to die for the good
GOODS he desires to use now. The
mill tax he is now paying, as
sbovr nv the foregoing hgures,
with only very reasonable and
con servatiye dependence on the fu-
ture as shown by the past, will take
care of the bond issue and all the
other necessary obligations. Then
What is the object of waiting!-
Published by direction of the POLK
coa poad, Association.