The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1938-01-20
Commissioners Get
Reporton Highways

/ III tuGu pIGSeut COIlQlLlOu, several
more years. They are narrow
and dangerous for heavy traffic
but, in all probability, would not
fail to such an extent as to re-
quire reconstruction for four or
five years. The question is, then,
are we justified in spending SIS
900 to get $4,000 or $4,000
bridge which would not be neces-
sary for four or five years. I'm
doubtedly we are saving from
$4,000 to $4,000 on each struc-
ture in the long run but we are
spending future money to do this.
"The other angle to this is the
relief angle and from the figures
quoted in the above paragraph L
becomes evident that very little
work has been provided for by
the cities, villages, school districts
tricts outside of Redwood Falls,
and when the athletic field is
completed at Redwood Falls, we
can expect very little from that
community. Therefore, if WPA
is to continue in the county,. it
will have to be taken care of by
the highway department. There
will always be few projects by
the cities, villages, school districts
and other branches of county adj
ministration, but the highway de-
partment is the only county de-
partment whose facilities extend
into all corners of the county and
who therefore can provide work
in nearly every community.
All of the men on WPA have
been certified for and are entitled
to certain amount of direct re-
! lief if no work program is pro-
Vided. I have no figures available
as to the amount of relief these
people would receive, but if they
received a half or even a quarter
of the amount of their WPA wag-
eS it would be stable sum that
the county would have to put out
and receive nothing in return.
at would seem to me as though
it would be much more business
like to continue doing worthwhile
projects such as bridge construc-
ton rather than to go back to leaf
raking or projects of that nature
which are of no permanent value.
Taxes
Eat the annual board meeting in
July 1887, the board increased
the tax levy. This was made
necessary to make up deficits in
CURED during depression years
when the tax levy was cut to
100000 in 1888, $4,000 in 1884,
and $45,000 in 1885. When this
deficit is cleaned up, we should
arrange our construction program
so that an annual levy of about
STE, 200 would take care of all
state aid costs and the present
levy should not be reduced until
this deficit is entirely cleaned up.
81 believe that it would be a
sounder and more business like
procedure to establish a levy Of
from $4,000 to 100000 and stick
to this levy regardless of crop or
other economic conditions. Then
our expenditures could be budget
ed to keep within the finances
available. The present policy has
been to levy according to econom-
ic conditions. A levy is made in
J July and not collected until year
or year and a half later. Ere
quently high levy is made be-
cause the economic conditions are
good and people are demanding
construction. When this levy is
not collected until nearly a year
and half later, economic condi-
tons may have changed and the
taxpayers can ill afford to pay it.
Also very low tax levy is fire.
quently made during adverse
economic times and a year and a
half later when the money comes
in, the people are demanding en-
ployment and expenditures far in
excess of the money available.
Therefore, until we are able to
predict economic conditions 16 to
18 months ahead, I believe we
would be better off all of the time
to establish a reasonable levy
and to stick to it regardless of
pressure groups.
Bridges
GAS I pointed out in my 1885
report, our bridge situation is fast
becoming serious problem. How
ever, with the w. P. A. conStruc-
ton carried on this year, together
with the several requirements
which were forced upon us on
county aid roads, our bridge sit
uation is considerably better than
it was year ago. The jobs COM
pleted during 1887, together with
the jobs started which will be
completed during 1888, comprise
approximately 400 linear feet of
modern bridge. This is moderniz+
ing our bridges at the rate of
about 200 linear feet per year,
which is about as slow as we can
(, go if we hope to have our bridges
adequate for traffic within the
next Is or 80 years.
las soon as our state aid deficit
is cleaned up, we must enter into
a definite reconstruction program
with view of reconstructing all
of our unsafe bridges as rapidly
as finances permit.
Engineering
"Our engineering costs for the
year have been about $500 less
than last year, which is attribut-
able entirely to the fact that very
little construction was carried on
and will increase next year if we
carry our federal aid program as
planned.
Purchase Of New Equipment
ut was our original intention to
purchase one new piece of equip