The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1918-09-13

Road financing h. one matter that
VIII be urged On the next legislature
TOT consideration Harden H.npipr
secretary 81 state and vice chairman
OF the state road commission. thinks
mat the road laws Of Utah az they
stand az present are causing some
complications. some Inconsistencies
and some evasions which Il would be
well To be rid 81. In addition. tho In.
tercst Of better roads-botb I'm tho
counties themselves and on IN. mot.
work Of through roads which is
planned for the statc--in Secretary
lIennion's belief demand that the syH-
tenn of financing be altered.
AZ present there H. permissible un.
der the law a state road tax. which b.
levied by each county board In nc.
cordance with the needs of the state
roads In that county. and iu agree.
ment with the state road commission
Tho state road tax this year varies In
amount from fnur.tcnths ~ "a mill
IN Salt Lake county-whl,h hna IA
large asscsscd valuation with n com.
paratlvcly small mileage ~ state roads
to five mills In DaRgclt and Gar.
field counties. which have small Co.,.
scsscd valuations aud % comparative.
~ large amount ~ work g. Keen the
main thnruuEhfntcs ~ the counties
the state highways, In good shape
fc,Icr Roads Are IIclI-vi.
Al this money. however must Boz
spent on state roads roads that have
been accepted hy tho state ruad com.
mission ~ ON inherent and integral
part 81 the state highway SYSTEM.
Theoretically none - u should be-
spent f"r " road ~ mere local i'm.
porinnCc. M matter how important
locally the rad might be-. Reads ~
iucal Importance, should in the theory
IT the law be- taken care ~ hy the
counties Themselves. and the people
1T Weber Cache or Salt Lake cotu.
tl"s should not be- required to pay Tor
the Improvement ~ u road In SEWER.
Kane ~ San Juan counties which are
Ut interest only a. the citizens ~ thos"
respective counties
A. u matter 81 practice. however.
II has been found almost impctatiNely
necessary Cor the state rad commits
sion To- designate such roads uf mere
lncui Importance. Tor the Simpl" r"a.
son that they were lmportnnt and
that n they were not made part of
the state road system. they cuuid not
be- improved 20 all. The county in
many Instances found itself without
funds to carry out anything like H.
program unless with money raised tn
Improve the state roads In that
county.
Realizing the position IN which the
counties found themHeiyvH. the state
road commission has designated some
roads nv state roads-on the plea that
they we're feeders" 60 the main ar.
tories ~ traffic-Which under other
conditions would have been lolt en-
tirely a. the local authorities O. han
die. the problems arising being purely
local and not OF statewide importance.
sourc of DIFFICULTY.
Il.nnlon suggests that the trouble
lies with the inability of IN" counties
10 raise money for their roads. out
side of the state road tax the counties
may nt present only use money ~.
praprlated from their general fund
for road construction and improve
mrnt. II n held that the maximum
tnN rate in the counties II 30 low thh'
they lind II impossible 1" carry on IN"
other activities 81 the county and 10
devote anything like an adequate
amount Co the Improvement OF tho
county roads. liennion suggests lhat'
for example. II the state road maxi.
mum were placed at two mills instead
of five as az present, Suiflelen'
amount Of money could he raised 10
meet the state road problems In each
rountV. Then he would permit IN"
county 20 levy an additional MIL or
min and one-half maximum tax Tor
county road purposes,
In the event that such law we're
n,ssed. I.ennion would urge on the
stnto legislature and N" state ROAD
commission the necessity 81 '"niln'
tne the state road system to the state
.wid, highway system proper
other words O. the through lines OF
highway leaving the care "i w.
Ior,I roads entirely In the handH OF
The local authorities VII" nave "
mret The problems or stand the blame
- .,,t meeting them,