The Winslow mail., 1926-06-25
Good Roads
Association Backs
Bill For State Roads

What does Federal Aid mean?"
asks the Arizona Good Roads AS
soclatlon in a news bulletin sent
out from Phoenix this week.
1t means" continues the bulletin
that the Federal government pays
20 per cent of the cost of Arizona,s
main highways when built to a
federal standard. Isn't that what
you wish? A road such as the
Bankhead Highway between Doug
las and Phoenix, the new Hassay-
ampa Trail between Congress and
prescott, the Superior Highway be-
tween Globe and Florence Junction.
There is now almost three million
dollars of Federal Aid money a.
vailable for Arizona if we had the
funds to match it and every sec
tion of the state knows that the
main highways in their district
could use this money to good adj
vantage. AS we stand at present.
the state will lose the greater D. It
of this money in less than a year
If funds are not available to match
it and plans made and approved.
The present highway funds of
the state are almost exhausted and
under existing highway laws, al
most all of the revenues which
make up highway funds will cease
about the end of this year as the
laws under which they are collect
ed will expire.
With this situation facing us, the
legislative committee of the Good
Roads Association had drawn up a
bill which embodies all of the pres
ent road taxes and includes the
gasoline tax, the motor vehicle fees
and the mill tax on commercial
busses and trucks and the ten Gems
property tax. With these taxes un-
der one bill, the division is made
almost exactly on the same basis
as at present. Half of the gas tax
is returned to the county from
which it is collected and an amount
equal to 125 per cent of the ten
cent property road tax is also bud
geted back to the county in which
collected which takes the place of
the present rs per cent fund. The
balance of these funds goes into
a state highway fund, out of which
must come first, maintenance for
all state highways and second the
money to match Federal Aid for
constructing the per cent roads
of the state highway system and
the state roads of the highway sys-
tenn.
The bill provides that should the
amount of funds raised by these
taxes be less than the four million
dollars which has been worked out
as necessary each year for main
tenance of our present roads and
the construction of the z per cent
roads of Federal standards. anti
cipation bonds may be issued in an
amount not exceeding two million
dollars a year in an aggregate
amount not exceeding ten million
dollars for this program. Working
on the basis of an average rate
or increase as shown by the past
Iour years, the amount of revenues
raised by this method will eoual
the amount necessary in this pro-
gram in about five years after
which time the increase will he
USED TO pay off the authorization
bonds and the longest estimate bas-
ed upon careful figuring and the
experience of other states, shows
tnat In fifteen years the bonds is
sued under this bill would be paid
OH and the revenues accruing un-
der the present taxes would be
sufficient to give us the finest road
system in the country.
1t should be clearly understood
that no Increases in taxation are
involved in the proposed legisla-
ton. The present sources of rev.
enue for road purposes which are
soon to expire, are continued.
These same revenues would con-.
stitute the security for any anti
cipation bonds which might be is
sued for matching Federal Aid
funds. The majority of the sup
ervisors of the entire state have
given this bill good deal of study
and are heartily in accord with it.
Petitions are now being circulated
for the required number of sigma
lures to have it placed upon the
ballot for the fall election. "If you
are a road user and want good
roads for the same money you are
now paying, get behind this bill
and boost" the association urges.