The Arvada enterprise., 1919-12-25
County Commissioners Refuse To Saddle I
$4,000 Onto County for Mountain Roads

to have the work already begun, de-
layed or stopped because of the dis
agreement between the State and
County Officials.
There seems to have been gen.
eral understanding that demand Of
25 per cent of tho improvement in
each county be paid by each county.
This is alright, perhaps, in many Of
the remote counties but not for this
Take, for instance, the county that
would have to pay only on one high
way across it, instes ID Of four. Per
haps this will be its first experience
in meeting such a ID mand. and there
fore it would be much easier to meet
the requirement.
The people Of Afvzda, of course
are greatly disappointed over the ap-
parent loss Of their road, but those
who have been informed as to the
exact status Of the case are not in
clined to blame the Commissioners.
The Mount Vernon road is for a
sight seeing and pleasure road, and
the Turkey Creek road, we under
stand, is one in which the millionaire
joyriders and SPECTATORS are interes-
ted, and especially Senator Phipps,
because Of their splendid opportuni-
ties for summer hgmes, etc,
These mountain roads also open
up the arteries Of Denver into the va
rious counties beyond, Park, Chaffe,
Lake, Eagle, Mesa, etc.
The fact Of the matter is that our
county is peculiarly situated, having
all the important state highways run
ming thru It, leading to the western
slope, the mountain parks, and In
fact, all the prominent arteries to the
western part Of the state. These
roads have all to be maintained at .
great expense to the Taxpayers Of
jefferson county without being Of =
direct asset to the county's resources.
Another peculiar fact il that being
located adjacent to the city Of Den
ver, aside from having been put to
the expense Of keeping up the roads
for the excessive travel BY pleasure
seekers, &C., eur county has bssn
required to cease taxing the city's
reservoir property, and to keep up
repairs ON some les bridges. over 20
feet long over irrigating bitches that
pay not one cent Of taxes, and carry
the water from the water sheds Of
the mountains to the counties below.
But this Is merely incidental and
entirely beside the point. The point
is, why did our County Commission
ers turn down the opportunity OF
getting $4,000 Of Federal money
which according to the Denver pap
err, could have been had for the ask
ing, - It were?
The reason. As explained by the
county Commissioners, il that they
hadn't the least idea how and where
the money was to come from. They
had in November, fixed their tar
levy, according to law. which now
could not be undone or changed. The
levy, which wss fixed at 2.77 mills
on the valuation, will raise $685.
$3.50. Al IL always the case, some
shortage In collections can be expsc'
ted. And, the law permits the Coun'
ty treasurer to have fee for co'lec'
ting. which fee amounts to approx
matsly $1,000. While It 10 true that
within the past three years the eoun'
" has cleared up IT. Indebtedness
BIZ using the surplus that has beer
left In the road fund, yet the Com
missioner were not good enough u
mathmatscs u figure out how the,
could spare $4,000 out Of the road
fund, when tie sum total to be OK
psctsd next year was only sts,boo
from which tho $1,000 treasurer
fee and incidental losses were to Ds