The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-05-10
LIMITS ROAD BONDS
TO NECESSARY WORK
COUNTY REIMBURSEMENT BOND
ISSUES FOR NONE BUT NEED
ED IMPROVEMENTS
EARLY ACTION PLANNED
INSURES BUILDING OF BETTER
MENTS IN ORDER OF
IMPROVEMENTS

County reimbursement bond issues
under the new 1923 law for state
trunk highway improvements will be
limited to necessities, the state high
way department this week advised
County Auditor Nick Thomey.
The policy is framed to prevent
the taking of trunk highway funds
for minor local improvements before
important projects more needed to
serve the greatest number of taxpay
ers are carried out.
. The statement from the depart
follows ruling on the new law given
by the attorney general and points
out changes from the old reimburse
ment boond law. The department
estimates that about $4,0OO,OOO of
new bonds will be issued, against
more than $11 100000 that would be
piled up under more liberal policy
and added to the $26,000,000 now
charged for payment from automo-
bile tax receipts.
Charles M. Babcock, state highway
commissioner, after receiving the
ruling from the attorney general and
counseling with his engineers, an
nounced that only bond projects to
carry out needed improvements will
be approved.
Minnesota adopted a state trunk
highway development plan by to
vote of the people," said the COM
missioner. "The principle is that a
system of main highways be improved
on statewide scale and without re-
gard to county or other local lines.
The department cannot sanction de-
partures from this first principle
schemes that would put minor local
improvements ahead and take state
money that justly should be used for
more necessary betterments on more
important and heavier travelled high
ways"
| Under any other policy, it was
pointed out, money needed for i'm
provement of highway carrying l.
900 or more vehicles a day might be
diverted to an unimportant project on
section serving less than $50 We
hicles daily.
The new reimbursement bond au-
thorization subject will be taken up
this week in many counties, some
boards having called special meetings
for that purpose. Under the old
law three-ffths vote of the board
would pass $125,O00 of bonds and a
unanimous vote S250,00G while larg-
er amounts could be voted at county
elections. The new law simply au-
tnorizes issues up to $250,000 by a
three-fifths vote of the commission
ers.
The old authorization resulted in
larger percentage of paving than
| hi al -
was because the commissioners, be-
lieving that other needs would be
provided from regular state funds,
insisted that the county bond money
be used for hard-surfacing.
Comparatively few paving improve
ments are planned under the new law.
The statement from the highway
department invites the County Board
to first decide on Improvements il
favors, giving the general route and
termini. After approval is given
the board will proceed with right-of-
way acquisition or other necessary
preliminaries and with the sale OF
the bonds, while the state is calling
for bids and awarding the contract
The law requires that all projects be
under state specifications and super.
vision, and the county now will be
relieved of all responsibility and in.
sured specific reimbursement. Op
erations are to start in each instance
as the bond proceeds are turned ovel
to the state treasurer.
i Any balance over the cost of the
agreed undertaking, the law provides
shall be expended on other sections o.
trunk highways in the county within
Ia year.