Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-10-16

needs Of the traAac and this work
should be continued but the improve
ment Of the roads and bridges can
not be pushed as the court feels it
should be and as the people expect
| it should be-. so long as the revenue
is no greater than it now is. The
traffic over the roads at this time is
at least five times as great as it was
10 years ago.. The demand for a
better road than was formerly built,
is justified and necessary under pres
ent traffic conditions, yet in view of
all these things which are undisputed
and evident to every thinking man
in the county-this Court is frequent
ly censured because it is unable to
meet every demand made upon it for
the construction and improvement of
the Roads and Bridges of the county.
We have available as the Fiscal
Agents of the taxpayers and people
of Madison county, for the upkeep,
construction, reconstruction and for
all purposes in connection with roads,
bridges, culverts, and etc, about
$4,000 each year which if used on
the pixies alone, would make about
$3.50 per mile, a sum wholly made
quate to even maintain them in
reasonably good condition, and if this
sum were distributed over the entire
mileage of roads it would only place
about $4,000 per mile for mainten-
ance, and under this arrangement no
consideration is given to bridges or
culverts, both of which are very cost
ly when constructed in first class
manner.
: The rate of taxation for all county
purposes (other than schools) over
which this court has the control was
reduced at the April term to 46 cents
on each 500 which is the lowest tax
rate paid in Madison county since
1897 and Is as low at the present
time as the rate in any county in the
state in which any effort is made to
maintain reasonable public improve
ments and it is the settled judge
ment and convicted Of the members
of the court That sound business
policy would be shown in maintaining
and extending the Improvement Of
our roads and bridges in order that
the citizens of every section may
have easy access to every other por-
ton of the county, and this result can
only be attained if our people are
willing to place sufficient money at
the disposal of the Fiscal Court to
pay the county's proportion of the
cost.
Many counties of the state have al
ready, by voting special taxes, bonds
and otherwise prepared to share in
the appropriations of the state of
Kentucky and the National Govern
ment> for the purpose of improving
their roads, and this court belives
that the people of Madison county
should likewise have an opportunity
to secure aid from the National
which can now be Sc
cured by contributing one-ralf of the
cost of the improvement which will be
of the highest type of road building
and done under the supervision OF
of the government.
The construction of new roads has
ceased in the county, on account OF
the fact that the cost of labor, ma
terials, and ETC., has advanced to
such an extent that the appropria-
ton now made by the county to such
new improvement is not sufficient to
defray more than very small per-
cent of the cost of new work. Under
the present revenues this character
of work together with large per-
cent Of reconstruction of old pixies
cannot be undertaken and pushed to
as should be done.
The foregoing are some of the
reasons why the court ordered the
election. believing and having every
confidence that the intelligent citi-
zenship of the county is in favor of
good public improvements and always
desires the betterment Of the county
and its people.
If, by their votes the people of |
Madison county authorize the levy of
The additional tax, the court pledges
itself to expend each year on the
,oads and bridges in each magister-