The Pensacola journal., 1917-08-28
Cottage Hill, Fla.
COMMISSIONER SODERLIND
DISCUSSES NAVAL ROADWAY

Editor Pensacola Journal:
There has been quite a good deal
of agitation during the past month
for a new paved road between Bayou
Chico and Bayou Grande, leading to
the aerOnautic station and the Pen
sGcola navy yard.
InasmuCh as the public generally
perhaps is not acquainted with the
restrictions and conditions of the law
governing the hoard of county COM
missioners with reference to roads
and bridges, beg space in your paper
to say something along this line.
In the first place the present law
requires the board of county commits
sioners in the month of July to make
up a budget for the next fiscal year.
The county commissioners are con
fined to the budget as made up and
cannot spend any money outside OF
that on roads and bridges. The agj-
tation for this paved road came up
after the budget had been made up.
In the budget for the fisCa! year, be
ginning October lst, there was $1,000
provided for the upkeep of the present
navy yard and Barrancas road be
tween Bayou Chico and Bayou Grande.
The last legislature provided method
bv which concrete bridges may he con-
structed by the county across Bayou
Chico, Bayou TeXar. Eleven Mile
creek and Pine Barren creek in this
county, by the issuance of time War-
rants by the board of county commits
sioners; this fund, when secured, must
be exclusively for these bridges.
There is only one way at this time
that the board of county commission
ers are authorized to raise the money
necessary to build this road, and that
is. for twenty-five per cent of the
registered voters in a certain district,
and for the purpose of this road, per
haps the district between the two
bavous, and including Pensacola, to
petition for the establishment Of
special road and bridge tax district,
and then to hold an election to see
whether or not the free holders and
voters will authorize the issuance OF
bonds in this district for the building
of that road.
If the chamber of commerce and
others who are interested will con-
suit a LAWYER and take the matter up
in the way that the law requires it to
he done. have no doubt that the ROAD
will be gotten, as the board OF county
! commissioners are very anxious to do
everything in their power to establish
not only a good road, but a permanent
paved road between Pensacola and the
/ Pensacola navy yard, or their part OF
| it between Bayou Chico and Bayou
| Grande. I for one will be glad to do
what | can, and will urge my people
| to support the establishment of this
district and the issuance of bonds;
! and in the event the bond election did
not carry, | would give my time, with
out pay, to go around and solicit sub
scriptions from the public for the
| necessary funds to build this road.
1t is an all important thing to the
citizens of this city and county, and
we all realize that the navy yard and
| the aeronautic station and Fort Bar
| rancas, and in fact all of the mill
| tary establishments at Pensacola are
potent factors in the life and business
| of this community. Certainly the
| board of county commissioners are
| anxious to cooperate in any way that
| will maintain close connection and
| communication by means of roads and
| bridges between the two communities.
Yours very truly,
GUS A. SODERLIND,
! County Commissioner, District No. 2.