Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-05-23
MAY ASK $175,OOO
FOR PUBLIC WORKS
City Council Asked to Consider
Mammoth Bond Issue
is FOR NEW BUILDINGS
Would Improve Water and Fire
Protection and Schools

1t is possible that the city coun-
Gil will formally take up at its next
meeting Monday the matter of call
ing special bond election to vote a
$l75,000 bond issue for public i'm
provements in Fitzgerald.
Some agitation has been made for
tlve different public projects which
their advocates assert the city insti-
tutions need in order to keep step
with the growth and development
of the city's population The real
strength of the public sentiment be-
hind the five proposals is not ex-
actly known and several aldermen
have said that they believe the only
way of finding out how strong it is,
is to hold bond election and have
a vote of the people.
School Auditorium Proposed
The first project which was
brought forward was that of an au-
ditorium and additional class rooms
Tor the Fitzgerald High School. At
hrst it was thought that this would
cost about $4,000 but when it de-
veloped later that it would cost the
city in the neighborhood of S45,OOO
many of its advocates lost heart and
the active agitation for the auditor
ium has been dropped
Discussion of the proposal of a
new high school auditorium and class
rooms for the city schools brought
out the fact that the city water, light
and power plant needed new equip
ment and that need was published
IN the Leader. Almost immediately
the editor was showered with letters
from subscribers outlining need for
the extension of the city water mains
INTO large section of the third ward.
tor new school building in the first
ward and for new negro school
building in the third ward
he water, light and bond com
mission estimated that improve
ments for its plant. including new
boilers and a more powerful engine.
ann the water main extension would
require an expenditure of $4,000 in
lost Of new First Ward School
all Tentative estimates place the
cost of a new first ward building at
$4,000 and that of new school for
the negro children at not less than
Szz,0O0, and possibly more than that.
City Has Bonding Capacity
The total estimated cost of the
wanted civic improvements will run
not less than $175O00 and probably
more than that The city has an
unexhusted bonding capacity of about
$3O0,000 or more than outstanding
bonds consume and the citys credit
is good enough to enable the bonds
to be tioated without much difficulty
Advocates of the bond issue de-
clare that extensive civic building
projects would relieve the present
unemployment in the city and bridge
the gap btween the present temper
airy business depression and the nor
NAL times that will come with the
opening of the harvest season. .Lum-
Der and building materials are back
to near normal prices, they say, and
labor is plentiful and comparatively
cheap. Furthermore, the improve
nlents are actually and urgently
needed if the city is to continue to
develope as it has developed during
the last few years.
Opponents of the bond issue say
that the improvements are really not
needed at present, that the City can
get along very well without them
Tor at least year until prices OF
materials and labor have reached q
stabilized level. They say that prices
are due to go down even further and
that the improvements can be made
at less cost next year or the year
after. They say further that the
bond issue would necessitate a slight
increase in city taxes which wbuld
be unwelcome at the present time.
However, close observers of pub.
lie sentiment locally assert that il
will be impossible to know really
what the majority of the people wan
done unless the voters have an op.
portunity to declare themselves at thc
polls and from many quarters, coun
eli is being urged to authorize bono
election.