The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-11-06
STREET PAVING
INTERSECTIONS
SOME GOOD REASONS WHY BONDS
SHOULD BE ISSUED AND Elk
PENSE DISTRIBUTED.
THE PRuBABlE COST IS NOT PR0nIBTIvE
It Has Been Generally Supposed That
the City Had Reached Its Limit
Figures Prove the Contrary.

AT a called meeting of the City COun-
ell on Saturday night the matter of
street intersections was taken up n
many new phases of handling this
much discussed subject were brought
out.
Hon. Philo Hall, who has given the
subject much study, was present and
addressed the meeting giving, in his
opinion, as the best method of handling
the proposition, and in fairness to all
concererned, a view that had not be-
fore obtained. Among other things he
said:
There are two methods authorized
by law for paying for the pavement
of street intersections. One is for the
city to pay for them, either out of
the general taxes or by issuing bonds.
The other method requires the pri-
vate of the quarter blocks ad-
jacent to the street intersections to
pay for the intersection in addition to
paying for the paving in front or Oh
the side of their lots. It is optional
with the City Council to determine
which Of these methods shall be pur-
sued.
The principal reasons why the city
should pay for the intersections either
out of the general funds or by bonds
are:
list. That the street intersections
are used by the public and being
neither in front or on the side of the
lots, that, the owners of such lots
should not in justice be required also
to pay for the intersection in addition
to paying for their own paving.
"2nd. That it is better to distribute
this expense for intersections so that
the burden will be a small one on all
taxpayers instead of a heavy burden
Oh a few.
Further, if instead of levying a gen.
eral tax, bonds be issued for the pay
ment of these intersections at a low
rate of interest running for a period
of twenty years, future taxpayers who
will have the same benefit of the pave
ment which present ones enjoy, will
contribute to the payment of the same,
instead of imposing the whole burden
pom the present taxpayers. This will
still further distribute the expense
so that h payment will not be bur
densome on any one INT will extend
into the future when the valuation of
the taxable property of the city will
probably have increased many times
over what it is at present"
The Register is of the opinion that
the city should pay for for these in
tersections, as it has always hereto
fore paid for street crossings and that
to assess them up to the already heav
lily burdened owners of the cornering
lots is unjust and i~nequitable.
1t had been generally supposed that
the city had reached it's limit for is
suing bonds and that unless the in
tersections were assessed to the aDut>
ting lot owner that they would have
to be paid by leving general taxes, but
at the hearing before the City Council
last Saturday night the actual figures
were produced which show hat such
is not the case, on the contrary that
the bonds Of the city can easily be is
sued for this purpose, and still leave
a large margin. The law provides
that cities may issue bonds for gen.
eral purposes (~ircluding paving street
intersections), to the amount of SCI
of the proceeding years assessed valu-
Alto The last assessed valuation of
oil nrnnartp in Tho o;f, n. oo,,.ol
is $4,547,9 38.00. Five per cent of this
sum is 1921, 1896. 80. From this limit
must be deducted, $40, 900. 100, city hall
bonds previously issued, maturing in
1881 and $22. 10000 of the r%efundins
bonds maturing in'1937. Deducting the
amount of these previously issued
bonds, leaves 1886, 896 80 as the amount
of bonds for general purposes which
may be issued.
The expense of the intersections on
Main street is approximately $22, 900,
and of all the paving contracted for
Eighth streets an additional $50, 000. 90
or $50, 5000 in all.
II would seem to us that it would
be a wise and economical policy for
the council and voters to authorize
the issuance Of about 800. 100000 Of
bonds for paving street intersections
and then let them be issued from tin,e
to time as future paving operations
require. everywhere in the city This
would be all within the legal limits
and leave a margin of $50. 000.0 under
present valuations. and would encour-
age further paving. II this Is not
done. and the other method pursued
thereby saddling the expense Of the
intersections onto the owners of lots
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