The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1920-09-30
COUNTY ROAD PROGRAM
MAY BE HELD IN ABEYANCE
County Commissioners Find Financ-
ing of County Road Projects
No Easy Task

county board of commissioners are
confronted with certain enigmatical
| problems that have arisen from the
disparity in the costs of state high
way construction in this county and
the estimates that were previously
put forword upon which were based
all yearly calculations of the coun-
! tvs executive heads. These dispar-
tiles are SO huge that not only the
county commissioners but those of
the countys taxpayers with whom
they have taken counsel feel that
the part of wisdom may concern a
Withholding of further road con-
tracts until that happy medium of
costs for which we are all honestly
searching comes to light
There are certain phases of the
road construction effected this year
that demand recounting in order
that the countys taxpayers may
more fully understand the position
of their officials. The state highway
law recites that on or before Janua
airy 10th of each year the highway
commission shall send to the county
boards of commissioners new con-
struction plans and cost estimates
in order that funds may be made
available. This was done in the in
stance of the highway construction
proposed for Churchill county and
during the year 1919 the board of
commissioners of this county pro-
vided $22,29SS0. This was the es-
timated rs per cent or this county's
share of the cost of building the
F'allon-Hazen trunk line of the state
highway, another 20 per cent to
come from state funds and SO per
cent from federal sources.
The state highway authorities
proceeded with the project, building
practically one-half, or eight miles
of the route selected for improve
ment which took the road from Fal-
Ion to point near Leeteville. But
rather than costing $57 1880, as
estimated by the state highway au-
thorities the eight miles of construc-
ton, now completed, and with which
We are all familiar, actually cost
$10S,298.41. or 59 per cent in ex-
cess of the estimate furnished by
the state authorities. The original
estimate of the cost of the Fallon-
Hazen project was 9.195.20, but
late verbal estimates, coupled with
the outlay already made between
here and Leeteville, indicate that the
actual cost of the approximately 16
miles of dirt roadway will be in the
neighborhood of $229,44722, which
/ is an increase over the original fig
ures of the state highway engineer
ing department of 157 per cent.
Little wonder that the county
commissioners find h IN e | v S
in a position very much akin to an
anomaly, are sorely beset through
no particular fault of their own and
do not know which way to turn.
Recently members of the state
highway commission visited this city
and met with the commissioners
board and outlined plans for further
road work within this county, pro-
posing to extend the state high
way out of this city south to the
Grimes ranch and to complete the
state highway from Leeteyille to
Hazen. At that time three tentative
routes we're discussed that would
connect Fallon with Grimes, desig-
mated a, and c. Route az would
lead south from Taylor street to
the vicinity of Beckstead's store
then south. north and east to
Grimes. A territory would be ira
versed, figuring one mile on each
side of the projected route. aggre-
eating 5000 cultivated acres, of ar
assessed valuation of $432,609. The
Island territory would also be di.
rectly served. Route &c" favored
by the federal authorities, traverses
for the most part unoccupied terri
tory ia the district southeast of thi.
city and has but $500 tributary cul
tigated acres, of an assessed valua
tion of s62, 900. Route I'd" extends
due east of Fallon to the Dan Ev
ans ranch and then south to Grimes
traversing and serving territory con
stituting 23.154 cultivated acres, o
an approximate assessed valuation
of s57s,293.
Route "a" is 11.25 miles II
length, route &C." 7.6 miles AM
route ID" 1919 miles. Inasmucl
J as directness Is a besetting govern
} ment policy in the matter of high
way construction the edict has gon
| forth that in all probability only tn
| shorter route could come in for tn
6 government subsidy of SO per cen
y of the entire construction cost, ye
+ the shorter road would serve but
I very small percentage of the cour
tvs taxpayers, according to the Of