The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-04-24
Established in 1891.
- ELECTION on MAY 6.
Voters to Decide if Assessment Law
Will Apply to Bamberg.

Will Apply to Bamberg.
An election will be held in Bam-
berg on Tuesday, May 6, for the pur-
pose of deciding the matter of giving
city council authority to assess abut-
ting property. to help pave Main
street. This election will be held
at the same time and by the same
managers as the election for, mayor
and aldermen. The notice of elec- :
tion appears in another column of
this issue of The Herald.
1t is proposed to assess abutting
property on Main street for the pur-
pose of making permanent improve
ments under the act of the general
assembly authorizing any or all in
corporated cities in South Carolina
to levy and enforce an assessment
upon abutting property. The man
ayers of the election will be H. N.
Folk, 3. T.. Fielder and J. H. Muir
ply.
While the primary purpose of the
election is to secure the authority to
pave the business portion of Main
street, the voters will not vote direct
ly on this question. What the voters
will be called upon to decide is
whether or not I the act above re-
ferred to shall become operative in
Bamberg.
All of the voters qualified to vote
in city general election are quail
fed to vote On this question. If the
elction is favorable, it will mean that
one of the several legal steps neces-
sary to assess abutting property for
paving has been complied with.
This action is taken pursuant to
the act of the general assembly ap-
proved by the governor on March IA,
1919. The act provides that after
being submitted to the voters and
passed on favorably it becomes ope-
rative in any CITY, The act then au-
thorizes the city council to proceed
with paving such streets as two
thirds of the voters have petitioned
to be paved permanently, the city to
pay one-half of the cost, and the
other half to be paid by levying an
assessment upon the abutting proper
ty on such street, the property own
ers paying one-fourth of the paving
on either side of the street.
+ The matter Of raising sufficient
funds for the payment of the city's
pro rata part of the cost of paving
is something that the city council
has to provide for. At present, we
are informed, there are no funds
available for this purpose. The city
now has tax levy as large as it is
possible to levy without special act
of the legislature granting the city
reason, it may be that no steps can
be taken until the next session of the
legislature is convened, at which time
legislative permission could be Sc
cured to increase the levy. It is pos
sible, however, that other means can
be resorted to to raise these funds.
This matter will be up to the new
council to be elected on May 6.
AS we understand the matter, the
only question that will concern the
voters at this election will be wheth-
er or not they desire the act of the
legislature ratified March IA to be-
come operative in Bamberg. The law
does not affect the city until the
voters pass upon it. If it is carried,
the city authorities will have the
power to levy the assessment upon
the abutting property. If it is not
carried, the city council will be
where> it is now-without authority
to levy tax On abutting property
for this purpose. In other words,
this is merely a preliminary to Sc
curing authority to pave Main street
or any other street in town, for
that. matter.
1t IS understood that the petition
referred to in the act has already
been circulated.