Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-31
State MAKING
BIG PROFIT IN
FLOOD WORKS
Investment In Cam
eron County Flood
Control Brin gins
Large Returns

Remission in 1925 Of ~ cents OF the
state tax TO Cameron county to fl
nance construction 5s floSd control
works, has proved an excellent in
vestment 70 rthe state of Texas, &C
cording TO figures made public today
today by County Judge 0. c. Dancy
in a letter 20 Senator Archer Parr.
Taxes paid the state by Cameron
county in 1924, the last year before
the 12-cant remission went into eff
feet, were $1S9,675.09. Taxes to be
paid the state on 1928 valuations, aft
er deducting the amount RENTED TO
finance flood control. will be $751;
is due, Judge Dancy states, TO the
velopment.
Following is the text of his letter
to Senator Parr:
"In checking over bond records Of
Cameron county road bonds, I have
gathered some information which, il
| has occurred 10 ne, would give yor
a great deal OF satisfaction Is a faith
full and efficient public servant.
about March i, 1925, You intro
| duced in the seth legislature, Senate
Bill No. ali, being carried forward
as chapter a5 of the general laws OF
the seth legislature, said senate bill
being for the donation TO Cameron
county for the benefit of flood pro-
lection in Willacy rs well as Cameron
county for a period of % years Of
all of the general ad valorem taxes
Of Cameron county for said period IN
excess Of ten cents. This was condi-
! toned that Cameron county vote and
carry q bond issue of not less than
81, $50, 10000 and not oveT 81 800, 900,
and levy a maintenance each year of
five cents for the maintenance Of the
l~evees, etc.
Bonds Bring Premium
an August, 1925, Cameron county
voted practically unanimously q bond
issue Of 1900, 900 and we issued and
sold said bonds, the first 100000
bearing interest at 4 IL per cent. and
the last million at 5 per cent, receiv-
ing q premium Of Sill.
Il remember that you put this mat
ter I'D to your colleagues not merely
as a humanitarian proposition, but as
a business proposition. We brought
che legislature 70 the Valley, and In a
little four-minute talk at the Stuart
race / emphasized the TACT that tnis
could be put over as z business
uropositlon; that these tine citrus
groves and truck gardens would 80
ySck to COW pasture values unless We
nad protection, specifically stating
.nta in five years the state OF Texas
would be correcting more money IL
sney made the donation than II tney
old not.
"Willacy county vss cut off from
Cameron county IN 1874, ana the 1oI-
lowing is a statement of the valua-
tons OF Cameron county since saIa
time:
1872 $23,5l4,0o2.0J
1923 2o.JzS.4oO.Uu
isZ4 -o'-sO'oto'oo
1875 xl,L3z, 5o<.UU
1926 SO,o4o,olv.UU
1877 of,Aoofi 'e'oe
lSZS -. +............a 44s411JAo5.VV
Valuations Increase
"You will note nat the valuations
for 1924, being the year before the
donation, were SIS, 25U,UlS.0O, being
put a little more than 8 quarter OF
q million dollar increase over 1928.
Of course our board of equalization
met ia May, 1925, before the voting OF
me bonds, and you will note that the
increase Of 1875 over 1924 was less
than two million, but this increase
was largely created by rsasc. % cen
fidence on account OF the legislature
having donated the taxes.
In two years, the state began 20
receive more moneys from Cameron
county and Willacy county than l
1924, but the following figures for
| 1909 @~s1l .n~&afrl.r f-earAaN ~-nr
The state tax rate for 1924 was 7s
and assessed in Cameron county, Tor
tire benefit Of the state, taxes
amounting to S1s9,675.09.
in 1928 the taxable values were
S44,i43,4S9 and the state tax rate
L. ca cests, OF which Cameron county
gets y csnts. So that the ststs gets
81 cents from Cameron county which,
on o1r 1928 valuations, yields
s231,105.79, or s51,43o.69 more than
we paid or were supposed 10 pay in
1924, also being s69,2ss.71 more than
ws would be paying 90 the rate Of
81 cents on our 1924 Valuations.
Control Aids Willacy
But the said donation was just as
much for Willacy county as for
Cameron county. and we have built
approximately so miles Of levees in
said county and spent approximately
Se25,000. We also built considerable
mileage in northeast Hidalgo county
and spent considerable money there.
The showing in Willacy county is
even better than in Cameron county.
In fact, before the construction Of
l%evees, Willacv county received the
brunt Of the foods. The valuations
Of said county since and including
1924 are as follows:
1924 S4,eS4, 511.00
1925 5,~076,547.00
1926 6~,653.66O.00
1927 1885, $4,000
1928 1905. 10000
HNpW uva cat No hapafst nf T;Iiary