Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-04-13
NOW IN FULL FORCE
New Road Law Effective on the
7th of April

A change in the system of town
road work has gone into effect. II
provides for a superintendent of high
ways who shall be in charge of town
road work Road tax must now be
| the town road district and makes the
town the unit of all road improvement
within its precincts.
The new law is known as Chapter
SIS, Laws OF 1919. Among other
things it provides that the town board
shall appoint some competent person
to superintend under their direction
the construction and repair of high
ways and bridges within the town.
He shall hold Office for the term of
one year from the date of his ap-
pointement.
1t will be noticed that this provides
for "some competent person" limit
ing it to one person. The old law
provided for the appointment of "a
competent person, or more than one"
The old law further provided that if
more than one person was appointed
the town should be divided into as
many districts as there were superin-
tendents and each district was to be
in charge of superintendent of the
district and that superintendents
should be appointed for a term of
three years.
Two new sections are added to the
statute bearing upon the Office of
town road superintendent, which in
brief, are as follows:
The town board shall appoint and
fix the compensation of competent
person to superiutend the construc-
tion and repair of all highways and
bridges in the town, under their gen.
eral supervision and direction, and
such person shall be known as super
intendent of highways He shall be
appointed in writing for a term of
one year and such writing shall be
filed with the town clerk. He may be
removed or cause by the town board
and vacancies shall be filled by the
town board. He shall be paid in lieu
of all compensation and annual salary,
payable monthly, either out of the
bridge and road fund or the general
fund of the town. He may be paid,
in addition an amount per month for
the up-keep of horse and vehicle or
oobOAAlOOllO VI u uCh. souCH d1-
lowance for vehicle shall be fixed by
the town board at regular or special
meeting and the town board is en-
powered to discontinue this practice
in their discretion at any meeting of
the board
The town highway superintendent
is required to execute a bond in an
amount fixed by the town board, with
such sureties as they shall approve.
and file the same with the town clerk.
He is required to make a complete
and full report of all funds received
and disbursed by him, whenever re-
quested to do so by the town board,
and shall make complete reports at
the annual meeting.
Among his duties are the follow
ing:
To supervise the construction and
maintenance of all roads, bridges.
culverts required to be done by the
town; to keep the highways passable
at all seasons; to perform such other
duties in connection with the high
ways as the town supervisors may
designate him to perform; to keep a
full account of all receipts and dis
bursements. The town superintend-
ent may make such arrangements for
the prosecution of his work as he may
deem necessary and may appoint such
foreman under him as the necessities
OF his work may require. The town
board is required to provide the sup
erintendent with the necessary forms
and books and the State Highway
Commission is directed to devise
standard set of forms and books for
the use Of the town superintendents
and to furnish each with them on or
before April 1, 1920. A
All payments for work performed
and for materials furnished on town
highways shall be made by town high
way order drawn upon the town
treasurer, and each order shall be
signed by the town superintendent of
highways and countersigned by the
town chairman and recorded on the
books of the town superintendent. All
formal contracts for construction shall
be approved by the majority of the
town board before being binding upon
the town.