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 ging
Large Returns

-
Remission in 1925 Of u cents Of the
state tax TO Cameron county to fl
nance construction Of flood control
works, has proved an excellent in
vestment 70 rthe state of Texas, ac-
cording TO figures made public today
today by County Judge o. c. Dancy
in a letter to Senator Archer Parr.
Taxes paid the state by Cameron
county in 1924, the last year before
the 12-cent remission went into eff
feet, were SlS9.675.09. 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, ] have
gathered some information which, il
| has occurred to me, would give yoc
a great deal Of satisfaction as q faith
full and efficient public servant.
"About March !, 1925, you intro
| duced in the seth legislature, Senate
4 Dill NO. N4t BCAHk
as chapter 35 Of the general laws OF
the 39th legislature, said senate bill
being for the donation TO Cameron
county for the benefit of flood pro-
lection in Willacy as well as Cameron
county for a period Of % years OF
all OF the general ad vslorem taxes
Of Cameron county for said period N
excess Of ten cents. This was condi-
| 49, 49, H.r1r anrrAy xnfa and
carry a bond issue of not less than
$3.50, 10000 and not ove $780, 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 81, SOC, 900 and we issued and
sold said bonds, the first 100000
bearing interest at 4 l-2 per cent, n
the last million at 5 per cent, receiv-
ing q premium Of Sill.
II 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
the legislature to the Valley, and IN a
little four-minute talk at the Stuart
4 XA2EG u CAABA1GA@G4 "a 41N
could be put over as q business
proposition; that these tine Gurus
groves and truck garosns would 60
Jack to COW pasture values unless we
uad protection, specifically stating
.nta in five years the state Of Iexas
would be correcting more money II
q made the donation than II they
aid not.
"Willscy county was cut off from
Cameron county IN 1874, and the toi-
lowing is a statement Of the yalua-
tIons Of Cameron county since SAID
time:
= : S<o,c11,Uo-'oV
1923 Zo~,OzS.loO.Vo
1874 -oi-oS,SASNN
AJZo llJ-o-sSo-'OV
= Z ouJososDIv.Ov
1874 CaJA1SSl 'v-Nu
1928 44,4l5,43g.UU
Valuations Increase
"You will note that the valuations
for 1924, being the year before the
donation, were SIS ,2SO,UlS.00. being
out a little more than a quarter OF
a million dollar increase over 1928.
Of course our board of equalization
met in May, 1925, before the voting OF
the bonds, and you will note that the
increase Of 1925 over 1924 was less
than two million, but this increase
was largely created by reason of con-
fidence on account OF the legislature
having donated the taxes.
In two years, the state began to
receive more moneys from Cameron
county and Willacy county than IN
1924, but the following figures fer
1928 viii certainly interest you.
The state tax rate for 1924 was Ts
cents. Therefore, there was levied
and assessed in Cameron county, for
tire benefit Of the state, taxes
amounting to Sls9,675.09.
in 1928 the taxable values wers
St4,4x3,4S9.00 and the state tax rate
is 81 cents, Of which Cameron county
gets IL cents. So that the state gets
62 cents from Cameron county which,
on u 1898 valustions, yields
S251,l05.79, or s~5l,430.69 more than
we paid or were supposed to pay in
1924, also being $~6s,2s9.T1 more than
we would be paying at the rate Of
ca cents on our 1924 valuations.
Control Aids Willacy
But the said donation WAS just as
much for Willacy county as fer
Cameron county, and We have built
approximately so miles Of levees in
said county and spent approximately
$3.50 00. We also built considerable
mileage in northeast Hidalso county
and spent considerable money the-e.
The showing in Willacy county is
even better than in Cameron county.
In fact, before the construction of
l%evees, Willacy county received the
brunt Of the foods. The valuations
Of said county since and including
1924 are as follows:
1924 S4,S54, 51I. 90
1925 5,076,54T.00
1926 6.65S, $4,000
1927 1855, $4,000
1928 1905. $4,000
Now, we get no benefit Of Wiliscy