Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1925-03-11
QUESTIONS IF 500, 900 WILL
COMPLETE SEWERAGE SYSTEM

QOES lONS lf Sl0U,OOO WILL
COMPLETE SEWERAGE SYSTEM.
To the Editor:
The voters of Charles Town have
been invited to make use of your
paper in discussing the proposed
$lO0,000.00 bond issue, for the pur-
pose of providing an adequate sew
erage system.
My personal tax bill is so small that
feel quite hesitancy in expressing
my views and, but for the fact that /
feel that the heavy tax payers must
depend largely on the votes of those
who pay little or no tax, for protec-
ton from the present day tendency
on the part of the nation to borrow
and bond almost to the point of
bankruptcy, | would not make use of
your offer.
1t is not my intention to question
the need for such a system. but
rather to state that before authorizing
the loan the voters should ascertain
how fully and definitely the following
information has been obtained, in
order that they may judge for them
selves whether proper precautions
have been taken to insure US that
further bond issue will not be neces-
sary to complete the project:
How many, if any, contractors or
sewer building firms have been asked
to give an estimate of the approx
mate cost of completing an adequate
sewerage system?
Were any of them furnished with
plans and specifications that would
put them in position to make such
an estimate with sufficient accuracy
to give it a value?
Is the proposed $100,000.00 loan
presumed to take care of the Dis
posal or Reduction Plant?
1t is my belief that, regardless of
the need for such a system, an adj
ditional debt of $100,000.00 on
population that showed, at the last
census, well under 5000, is an ex-
tremely heavy burden. That is a
fact that cannot be gotten away
from. and it makes no difference how
the figures are arranged, if the plan
eontemplates ever paying off the
principal. To prove it, take the past
record. Some forty or fifty years
ago this town issued S10,060.00 of
bonds to build the Market House.
Only $2,500.00 of these have been
paid off, the remaining $7,500.00
come due in about four years. Over
thirty years ago we built the bridge
across the B. & o. Railroad, near the
Methodist Church, issuing 100000
of bonds for this purpose. and not
one dollar of these have been paid.
They come due, / believe, in 1927.
The bridge has been torn down for
ho,,, Eax
unsafe years ago.
If. in all that time, we are only
able to pay S2,50000 on the debt
and pay the interest on the S13, 900,
with tax rate, when coupled with
the State and County tax, that is
considered by many as excessive, /
think that right now as a most APP
propriate time for the voters to ask
what assurance they can have that
the proposed increase of I believe
approximately zoe will cover this
proposition to completion.
There is another item that will
have to be taken care of and, / would
think it would represent a consider
able annual outlay that is not taken
care of in the Bond Issue, and that is
the rental to the Water Company, for
flushing and keeping the sewers
clean.
The cost of making sewer connec-
tions with the homes and places of
business along the sewer route, which
will have to be borne by each owner
in addition to the increased tax rate
will call for a considerable outlay
and, if known, the average cost per
home or property should be given.
If the sewer route has been sur
veyed or chartered, I believe most of
the voters would be interested in
knowing where it operates.
If the above information is known
or obtainable, it is my opinion that it
should be given to the voters before
w T. GIBSON