Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-10-15
Those Street
Paving Bonds

friend, Major James A. Fort,
questions the legality and the
wisdom of voting 100000 in
bonds to repave the uptown
streets, Major Fort would
crystalize public sentiment
against the issue, which, OF
coufse, is his right as a patriotic
citizen and voter.
Frankly, the question of
whether bonds should or should
not be voted is the business of
thspeople-not of the mayor
andrcouncil or this newspaper
or any clique, club or single
body of citizens. 1t is the indi-
citizen who must an
,4rsser.
But we cannot agree with Ma
jor Fort. 1t is true the bonds
will be a tax on all of the peo-
ple.v;so is the annual cost of
maintenance of these wood
blocks, which the city engineer
says, costs practically as much
each year as the annual interest
on the bonds. And this cost of
relaying the blocks after every
long wet spell grows greater.
The mayor and council are
doing their best to retire the
present floating indebtedness of
tic city, some of which bears 8
per cent. Every dollar of re-
pair cost to the streets takes
just that much from the sum
that otherwise would be applied
to theFLOATING debt. Bonds
will Bear A IL per cent inter
est, whereas a part of the float
ing debt bears seven and eight.
The legality of the issue is
questioned by Major Fort. Sew
erai othei attorneys, who have
studied the audit and the state
laws. believe the issue is legal
ard have SO informed the mayor
and council. One thing certain
is that If the bonds are not legal
j. passed they can not be Sold
By inference, we understand
that Major Fort would have the
repaVing done by assessing the
COS: ia the same ratio as in the
first laying of the blocks; that
as. the city paying one-third and
..--c,--t4e abudinG property owners
8 paying two-thirds. If this were
'7gh initial paving project, we
GDald agree with Major Fort, but
III IS not.
The abutting property owners
have paid two-thirds of the
Gsst of paving these streets. In
Mality they were assessed by the
Sty 100000 for a permanent
paving. 1t is no fault of the
property owners that they have
not received their moneys
worth. They are entitled to it
and to re-assess them would not
:. be fair, as we see it. 1t is simply
ksa case of bad judgment on the
part OF some one in laying wood
d. blocks, and there is no way out
HkS5f the muddle except for the
~ Whelepeople to bear the cost.
Another thing: The central
business streets are used by ev-
cry citizen of the city, as we'll as
the hundreds of thousands of
people who come into the city
for business or otherwise. The
condition of these streets affect
T50ery citizen, every visitor.
Whether these streets are re-
paved or left to rot and decay
Miltnot necessarily affect the
rental or salable value of any
piece of property abutting on
oathem-certainly not for many
, gears,
,n Major Fort states that higher
taxes are certain to follow the
reckless voting Of bonds, and
we presume he means that this
contemplated issue is reckless
> voting Of bonds. The mayor
land council have stated en-
-r phatically that the tax rate will
NOT BE INCREASED next
~ year, that it is not necessary to
O Increase the rate in order to
'c7ctneet the interest and principal
"a not these bonds Already the
n mayor has made a tentative es-
innate Of next years budget and
bases the statement of the coun-
NV Gil on this estimate.
M As to the question Of ex
.el hausting the city's credit, max
,amgait impossible to issue bond.
a-ssats care for an9anerg ennyIshoulc
one arise, thepeis away OUTLINE
q7~lhe Americas tax rate is too