The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-10-11
ATTORNEY GENERALS
OPINION OF AMENDMENT

Editor Florida Times Union: OBJ
serve the publication of what pur-
ports to be an interview with me pub
lished in your issue of October s, on
page seven.
/ assume that this publication was
based upon conversation which /
had with a friend Of mine from Palat-
ka on the train on October 5. between
Sanford and Palatka. and in the main
the statement is correct, though it is
not just exactly a statement of my
views with reference to the proposed
constitutional amendment. which if
ratified, would authorize the legisla-
ture to issue bonds for the purpose of
building and maintaining roads and
bridges.
The proposed amendment is as fol-
lows:
Section 6 or Article 9 of the con-
stitution of the state of Florida to be
amended so as to read as follows:
"Section 6. The legislature shall
have power to provide for issuing
state bonds only for the purpose Of
|repelling invasion or suppressing in
surrection, or for the purpose Of re-
deeming or refunding bonds already
issued at a lower rate of interest. or
for the purpose of acquiring, building
and maintaining a system Of good
roads and bridges throughout this
state under such regulations as may
be prescribed by an act Of the legis-
loture; provided that any bond issue
authorized in pursuance hereof for a
system of good roads and bridges
shall not exceed in amount five per
cent of the total tax assessment Of
the state at the time of ISSUE"
It is my opinion that should this
amendment be adopted, the legisla-
ture of Florida would be authorized
at any time to issue bonds in sum
equal to five per cent Of the total tax
the issue. That there would be no
limit upon the number of issues and
no limit upon the aggregate amount
os the issues so long as no one issue
exceeded five per cent of the total tax
assessment of the state at the time
of such issue.
This, however, would not neces-
sarily mean any great burden, be-
cause the limit of each issue would be
five per cent of the total tax assess
ment of the state at the time of issue
and not five per cent of the total as
sessed valuation of the state. For
the coming year the total tax assess
ment of the state is eleven mills OF
the assessed valuation and therefore
the limit of the bond issue would
be five per cent of the eleven mill
assessment upon the total valuation
| I am heartily m favor of state
bond issue, and / think that twenty
million dollars is not too much fol
the issue, but it is my opinion that
the proposed amendment falls so fal
short Of expressing the intent of the
Legislature which proposed it, and
that the construction necessarily tS
be placed upon it is such that the PED.
PIE of Florida can not afford tx
ladopt it as a part OF the constitution
also think that the issuing Of bonds
Iof the state, or any county or munic.
4 lipality, should always be controlleC
by the direct vote of the free holder.
and that the authority to issue bonds
should not be vested in the legisla.
lture, the board Of county commission
ers nor any city council
i / therefore hope that the next ses
sion of the legislature viii submit Z
proposed amendment which viii au
thorize the bond issue for specif.
lamount to be used for the construe
ton of certain roads that are therein
designated, and that the same viii b.
Submitted to and ratified by the vot.
Iof the citizens of Florida.
Yours very truly,
Mariana, Fla. R. H. Buford.