San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-23
FOR FLOOD PREVENTION.
10 The Editor:

10 The Editor:
To make San Antonio a big city,
we who would undertake the task,
must pull together in an unselfisb
spirit, and laying aside political bick'
erings and class hatred, we should CO.
operate with our city officers, and
eliminating from our council and asso-
citation the selfish mossbacAs, pessi'
mists and drones, class them as city
slackers."
Abundantly blessed by nature with
q perfect setting, climate unsurpassed
water pure as crystal San Antonio
has every element to make her truly
great-including big churches good
preachers fine schools and able teach
ers.
Every tax paying voter of good
sound mind doubtless realizes that
something should be done to protect
our city from future floods. When il
comes to considering the method OF
this protection and the means for
bringing it about there are many men
Ii many minds.
While our public officers are inves.
ticctin into both the method and
means" in an honest earnest effort to
solve this flood problem being the
proper time to make suggestions
submit plans which to my mind ap-
pear fair and just and which l believe
if submitted to the voters would be
heartily approved.
At the very outset / wish TO say
that / am opposed to any kind of a
zone system for river Improvements
which makes zone smaller than the
whole city. For the same reasons
which l oppose river zone / am also
opposed to the special improvement
districts or zones fourteen in num-
ber) where special taxes are now
levied to pay for improvements made
in these districts or zones specially
taxed.
In special provision in our city
charter property tax paying voters
residing and owning property in q
given district are allowed byl majority
vote to tax themselves not exceeding
% cents on the 500 valuation and
issue bonds to pay for Improvements
made in the district voting approval.
Fourteen separate districts or zones
have voted upon themselves this spe-
cial tax obligating the property own.
ers and are now paying on these i'm
provements.
In these fourteen districts or zones
where special taxes are levied bonds
are now outstanding aggregatine
S715.000. We have cash in the city
treasury. reserved TO. pay off these
bonds, the sum of S4J0.O00. and il
would only take balance of S265, O0C
with which to retire all of these spe
cial improvement districts or zones
bonds.
This law providing for special i'm
provement districts, or zones, was
created of necessity. at a time long
ago when a bunch of "nossback tight
wads," controlled the city with Their
ballots and voted down every effort
of progressive people to better the
city. 1t was made so that people re
siding in the progressive sections
might have the public Improvements
desired by paying extra for them.
1 am sure that every business mar
who owns property in the flooded zone
agrees with me that il is not only fair
and proper. but good politics as we'll
that property owners paying special
taxes in these fourteen special i'm
provement districts. or zones. be re-
lieved from these special taxes. and
that the city should include in the
bond issue. to be submitted. an item
of S26j. 900 with which to retire these
special district bonds.
Notably among the districts which
now have outstanding bonds for spe-
cial improvements are those of Beacon
Hill for sewers. Tobin Hill. Prospect
Hill. laurel Heights and others: High
land Park. for macadam streets. pays
ten cents special fax and Commerce
street. for her widening bonds, pays
16 cents special tax.
These improvements being paid for
by each of these districts, or zones.
ard with no help from the rest of us.
ar, improvements in exact likeness
and forrl to improvements made in
other sections of the citv with general
funds of the city, or from general
bond issue money.
The snecinl improvements paid for
exclusively by the districts mentioned
above. and other districts rot men-
toned. have added millions in valna-
tion to our citv tax rolls and aided
materially in the financing of many
projects in other sections IF tn" city.
improvements mad" anywhere in
the CITY. whether for streets. sewers or
rive benefit:
First-The district or zone in which
sue, improvements are situated.
Second-Thn whole city for the res
son that whether II bc = street paved.
sanitary or storm enwar constructed
or the river improved. the health and