The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-10-12
WITH THE A SPLENDID SYSTEM OF ROADS MAY RE HAD
AT PRACTICALLY NO COST WHILE WITH THE LATTER THE
COST is PROHIBTTIvE, AND YET NO ROADS
We CHALLENGE ANY CITIZEN
EITHER ON STUMP OUCH THE COLUMNS OF THIS
PAPER 10 DISCUSSION or THE ADVANTAGES OF THESE
TWO METHODS FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS

We shall in this brief article try
to show why we personally favor a
bond issue for road improvements ov-
or special tax levy. 1t will be i'm
possible, Of course, in a limited space
to touch this great question only in
the high places, but hope to say
enough to convince any thinking per-
son that a bond issue is our only way
Of accomplishing the results SO much
hoped for.
We will consider first the Special
Tax Levy District and give what is
planned by those who have presented
a petition which is now pending be-
fore the Board Of County Commits
soners. This petition asks that Dis
trict 4, Arcadia, he made a Special
+ Tax District in which there Is TO he
four year special levy for road and
bridge purposes, aggregatlng sum
OF $4,000. The first question asked
Is what can we build with this sum
. Of money in district as large as
No. 4? The second question will be,
what will be the annual tax levy in
order to take care Of this debt within
the period Of four years, named in
the petitioni
Should we undertake to build per-
manent roads at the minimum cost
Of 5000 per mile, the full amount of
this levy will not quite build the road
known as the Dixie Highway. run
ming north and south through District |
a. To he accurate concerning this, II |
would lack iust $4,000 Of being suf- /
fcient to do this work. To be perfect |
y frank concerning this proposition,
the amount asked for in this petition
4 does not meet the needs Of the dis
trict and is not in keeping with the
splrit Of progress that is being man.
Tested throughout the state in road
building.
Now, let's see what It will cost the
tax payers annually, even to do this
which when done, win not be at all
satisfactory to the citizens. The
amount Of the county assessment Of
District No. 4 is approximately ST. |
10000. Hence in order to raise $50.
600 for road purposes, an annual |
levy Of nine mills additional will be |
necessary to pay of this debt with |
IN the four year period, costing each |
TAX payer so additional per year for !
Tour years on each thousand dollars |
worth Of real estate that he owns. At !
he end of the four year period You
viii have 70 show for your money
lsst sixteen miles of permanent !
'oads. This. however, is a most ride
eious superstition. since the people in
omer parts OF the district would not !
''and for having the entire sum spent /
On this one read.
81 But this is not all that We have 10 !
consider in regard to the Srecial Tax !
evy. No money will he available I'M J
GER such levy until the fall Of 1918 |
and we shall he compelled to do no
'uidlng until the fall Of 1918, unless
We borrow money on these road war
fants
Tine and space are too valuable TO
'pe'ulate on a matter Of this kind
"nen one is provided with data from
""eh concrete illustrations may he ,
mace. 1t is commonly known that the
''ufdock Drainage District Of this
"un'y asked for bids for the reno
y" Oh dirt, and. received two bids,
'4e Tor cash, and the other accepting
a'He warrants. The cash bid was If
"1' and one-half cents per cubic
ARG and the time warrants hid was
~enty-one and one-half cents per Gu
~ yard, or nearly thlrty.three and
~e''nird per cent. greater.
n vp to this time there have been ex-
waited 10000 cubic yards Of dirt
'@eh had the work been paid for
eesh would have been a saving Of
~ 70 the tax payers Of this drain
district. II the Murdoch Drain 4
~ district had been a bond Issue
e1 instead OF special levy
you can readily see how this
.'a have Injured to their ADVANTAGE
n Is positively not single adj
'se IN having special tax levy
me bond issue system. while