The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-22
How The Goods Roads Bond
Issue Can Be Financed

be an available balance of $106,40
for work on lateral roads and bridges
not included in the bonded system.
At the same ratio of increase, the
assessed valuation for 1919 will be
$32.239,319. yielding without in
creased millage $257,914.55. De-
Quoting the same charges as before,
amounting to s1o6,00O there will
be an available balance Of $152,914
for work on lateral roads and
bridges not included in the bonded
system.
These figures. remember, do not
include any increase in the assessed
valuation in the county by reason
of the building of 211 miles Of hard
surfaced roads. but only the same
ratio Of increase which has accrued
with our present roads. What the
increase will be after the proposed
system Of roads shall have been built
and even during construction, is not
easy to compute but results from ad-
joining counties have shown in a
general way that this increase has
been tremendous
Before closing this article, how
ever,it 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 100000 come due five
years after date and to take up $780,
900 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:
! 1916-$11,422.O0.
1917 37,O35.0O.
1915 6S,2S3.OO.
1919-1O6,405.OO.
1920-152,914.0O or a total OF
$376,O59OO which. if properly eX.
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: $257,914.55, there will
have to be provided an extra expen'
diture of 100000 for sinking fund
This will make the total expenui
lures 100000 and the available
balance $92,914.
This, it is believed that it viii
easily be seen that the bond issue
can easily be financed even without
the increase of a single mill OF
taxes over that now assessed ant
that the lateral roads can also bt
tken care of much easier than with
out a bond issue, because 211 miles
of roads, needing expensive and con
slant repair, will be out of the wa!
for several years to come.
Absolute accuracy Is not claimed
for the foregoing figures, but a
their basis has been obtained from
an authoritative source, the con
s:ructive items are approximate!
correct.
Only the pessimist will object t.
the very conservative estimate will
regard to increased valuation ant
1t should be we'll understood tina
this increased assessment will no
come so much from the increase II
value of property now carrying ;
reasonable valuation as from land
now assessed at only a few dollar
per acre which lack of roads are no
now desirable for agricultural an,
development purposes.
The taxpayer should remembe
that his willingness to pay tn,
taxes. on which the above figure
are based, is not asked. He is pay
ing s mills road tax now. He will
continue to pay that and more with
out bond issue and while waiting
until he comes to die for the goo,
; roads he desires to use now. TIL
mill tax he is now paying, a
| shown by the foregoing figures
with only a very reasonable an,
conservative dependence on the flu
ture, as shown by the past. will TAX
: care of the bond issue and all tn
} other necessary obligations. Thel
what is the object of waiting?-
: Published by direction of the Poll
/, Good Roads Association.