The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-05-26
MISUNDERSTANDING
Of PROPOSED ROAD
TAX IS GREAT
Fiscal Court States In Communication
Objections to Proposed Road
Tax Answered.

The Mason County Fiscal Court is
sues the following authorized state
ment:
Discussion on the zoe road levy has
brought out the fact that there Is quite
a lack of understanding of the pro-
posed assessment throughout the
county, and 1t is the sense Of the F'is-
cal Court that every means should be
employed between now and the date
of election to bring the full facts to
the attention of all voters and appeal
to their sense of fairness In consider
ing the additional burden that will be
imposed upon the taxpayers If they
refuse to accept the Federal aid that
is now offered by the government.
The Federal aid represents taxes al
ready collected by the government
from taxpayers of this and other states
and it would be folly for Mason coun-
ty to refuse to accept their own money
now in government hands for the con-
struction of roads in this county and
to permit the funds to be taken up by
some other county or state that was
progressive enough to meet the gov
ernment's offer of dollar for dollar. II
is pointed out, furthermore, that there
is a strong movement on foot to induce
the next Legislature to vote genera
zoe road tax applying to every county
in the state, and where counties have
not already exercised the option Of
voting the tax before the General AS
sembly meets, the taxpayers will be
forced to pay the assessment in gen
eral lexy and Mason county will be toe
late at that time in applying for Fed
eral aid. If Mason county does moi
make some provision to supply the ne
cessary fund to meet the offer of the
government, not only the Federal ait
now offered will be turned over t
some other county, but Mason count.
will not be able to secure any Fedora
aid at any future time.
1t has been discovered by the goot
road advocates that propaganda |!
abroad to misrepresent the amount t.
be assessed under the proposed tax
Either innocently or intentionally, sew
aral taxpayers have referred to thu
assessment as a 20 per cent tax TIL,
proposed tax represents an assess
ment of only zoe on the 500 worth o
real estate, or $500 per $1,000.
A few voters have complained tina
the tax will not be applied to the in
tersecting roads between the mair
highways, and that they will not vot'
for the assessment. One taxpayer wht
made such complaint was asked how
he reached the city. He said that he
drove over to one of the main pixies
and had good road all the way t.
town. When asked what he would dc
II his side road was built to equal
the main pike and the big highway al.
lowed to 60 to pieces, he said that he
had not considered 1t from this angle
and that he presumed the real increase
in value that his property had gotten
from the good roads had come from
its proximity to tire main highway. H,
was also given estimates on highway
construction and readily convinced
that the present road income was no
sufficient to build high type of roat
on all intersecting highways and main
tain your main pike.
Your Fiscal Court intends, as stated
before. to keep together their old road
fund for the maintenance of the sid,
pixies and the rest Of the main pike
until they can reach the main thor
oughfare with permanent pixies. Ev
cry mile Of permanent turnpike re
duces the cost Of maintenance on tina
particular mile, and In this way tn,
old road fund gradually increases, tn,
same to be applied to the rest Of tn,
macadam pixies Of your county.
A vote against this tax is vot,
against your own interests. 40 In con