The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-11-28

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has voted to adopt county unit,
has asked her county commits
sioners to make a uniform spe-
cial school levy to cover all third
class districts, or the county
unit. This levy when collected
will be distributed by the trus-
tees of the county unit in ac-
cordance with the budget which
has been allowed each district.
Can Issue Bonds.
The new law also provides
that the county unit may issue
bonds for the erection Of new
school buildings and shall as
sumo the bonded indebtedness
OF all thiId-class districts. In
Cascade county the assessed
valuation of county unit is $751;
284,368, according to last years
assessment, and the bonded in
debtedness of third-class dis
tricts is 1911, $50. It will thus be
seen that this bonded indebted
ness can be paid easily on a levy
of five tenths of a mill in fifteen
years. The valuation and bond
ed indebtedness of third-class
districts in Cascade county are
perhaps higher than in any 9TH
er county in the state. though
other counties might not find it
any easier to meet even a lower
bonded Indebtedness, but in no
county is the bonded indebted
edness high in proportion to the
total valuation of all third-class
district.
The new law does not deprive
a single local board of trustees
in Cascade county of any pow
ers except the once above men,
Notwithstanding the money
to be raised by special levy and
the bonding of the district and
paying off existing bonds. The
trustees of the sub-district, OF
local board, employ their own
teacher, purchase their own
fuel, equipment, etc, issue all of
their own warrants, and receive
their state and county appor
tionments from their county SUI
perintendent just as has here
tofore been done.
During the past month the
sub-district trustees have been
sending the county board in
Cascade county their estimated
budgets for next year. These
have been considered by the
county board and raised or low
cred in certain items as the case
seemed to require. Then after
deducting from the budget al.
lowed, the approximate amount
of money to be received by each
district from the state and coun.
ty apportionrnent. the balance
indicated the needs of each dis
trict from a special levy, anc
from the total the amount OF
the uniform special levy for the
county was figured.
Next December when the
taxes have been collected, the
county board will meet again tt
distribute only the special take:
to each district in accordance
with the budget which was al
lowed the district.
If the question of bonding thu
county unit should arise it would
be submitted to the electors il
third-class districts, just as al
other bond issues are submitted
to the people. The only bond:
which may be issued withou
vote of the people are refundin&
bonds, which are issued whel
the bonds of district fall du'
and there are no funds with
which to pay them. This is no
peculiar to county unit, but i!
a provision of the general schoo
law.
The County Unit Law.
Briefly stated, the provisions
Of the county unit law in Mon
tana are the following:
1. Petition Of 300 elector'
between January l and Apri
80; election before June 10
creation of district July l.
2. Rural school district di
: vided by county commissioners
into five subdivisions Of al
nearly equal area as possible
One trustee appointed for eacl
subdivision. After first yea
, trustees chosen by voters O.
each subdivision at April schoo
election. Board holds two regu
lar meetings a year. Travelin,
expenses paid to not more tina,
four meetings a year and al
honora1ium of $50 per year.
z At Ju)v n1aatinr Of conn