Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-02-12
ROADS PROGRAM
ALMOST READY
Legislation to be Submitted to the
Iowa General Assembly Includes
Road Bill Which Means
Good Roads
75 PER CENT AUTO f.
TAX WILL HELP PAY
Other 25 Per Cent Will be Raised by
Special Assessment Against
Abutting and Adjacent
Property
Roads Program is Almost Ready for
Iowa Legislature.

Iowa Legislature.
The completed program of road:
legislation to be submitted to the
Iowa general assembly by commit
tees-and this includes besides 8
road bill, a measure revising motor
vehicle taxes-probably will be be,
fore the legislature within three
weeks.
The joint road bill drafting com.
mittee has held two preliminary
meetings. Within a day or two it will
be at work upon the actual provis-
ions of the act. The policy will be to
hurry this work to completion.
At the same time a joint board
of the house and senate motor ve-
hicles committees will be ,workins
upon the motor vehicles revision
bill. This question is necessarily in
volved in road legislation, because
the paving revenues which the road
bill contemplates must come largely
from motor receipts raised under
the motor vehicles bill. The closest
contact between these two drafting
boards is planned. Senator White of
Garrison, chairman of ,thb b senate
motor vehicles committee, is a mem
Der Of the roads board.
Program in General.
While the details of the roads pro-
posal are still uniformed, the basis
of it is quite definitely in mind, The
completed program will not vary
greatly from these points:
County local option upon
ing of inter-county roads, super
visors 10 have entire jurisdiction as
to roads Of the inter-county system
first to be paved and insofar as the
current revenues are to be used,
the rapidity with which paving will
be done.
2.-The Florida plan, when it is
desired to pave more rapidly than
current revenues permit, thus in
volving the issuance Of bonds, the
people to vote upon approval of con-
tracts for definite improvements
which have been let Professionally.
"a largely increased motor ve-
hicle tax. The motor vehicles bill
probably will be designed to produce
$5,O00,000 a year, as against little
more than half that amount now,
the fund to be distributed, an equal
amount to each civil township, as at
present.
How to Pay For 1t.
4.-When paving is done on the
inter-county system it will be made
mandatory upon counties to pay for
it Is per cent out of thu. r auto tax
receipts, and 25 per cent by means
of special benefit assessment against
abutting and adjacent property. The
assessment erea probably will run
about a mile and a half to either
side of the proposed pavement. A
provision may be included that coun'
ties must use their motor vehicles
receipts in some manner upon the
inter-dounty road system, leaving
the way open for it's use in backward
counties, upon their permanent
bridges in this system.
5.-Current road revenues raised
by general taxation, which are un
touched by the paving program, tC
be used for maintenance and i'm
provement of the secondary roaC
systematic county and township
roads. Provision probably will b'
made for the creation, upon petition
of road improvement districts which
will finance graveling or oiling o
these secondary roads when there Il
need. In this may be included plar
for the issuance of short term bonds
based upon general country roads re
venues, for these improvements.
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