The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-21
HARMONY KEYNOTE
OF BRIDGE MEETING

winch were $l Tor car ana drlV-
er, Is cents for each additional
passenger each way. The second
point is that one month of ex-
cursion rates for Saturday and
Sunday will be tried, starting
October /. Anyone who goes
through either of the toll gates
will get a round trip ticket
through the District for the price
of one toll charge. 1t had been
pointed out that thousands of
people have come into the Dis
trict from Miami and gone along
the bridges but turned around
before they went through the
Big Pine toll gate, SO that they
would not have to pay another
fare going back. This has kept
many. from coming in to Key
West. The excursion rate during
the summer is designed to en-
courage weekend traffic to Key
West.
The one commissioner who
was opposed to going back to the
former rate and to the summer
round trip fare was John Ken
nedy, who advanced the follow
ing reasons:
Il am going to vote no for the
reason that l do not think, bas-
ing my opinion on last year rev.
enues of the Overseas Road and
Toll Bridge District, that the
toll charges will be sufficient to
meet our bond requirements and
interest redemption fund require
mentS because of the fact that
last year the entire revenue from
tolls for the Overseas Road and
Toll Bridge District amount to
$212,009.50, whereas this year
our principle payment and inter-
est payments will amount to
S2l4,000, which is some two thou
sand dollars more than the en-
tire amount taken in, for last
years period from toll revene,
and that our budget shows that
an approximate amount of $685.
10000 is necessary for operating
costs, making total of approx
mately $280,000, whereas we took
in last year only the amount of
$212,009.50, and that / think, that
it is better for the travelling pub
lie to pay the expenses of the op-
Grafton of the bridges than the
taxpayers of Monroe county, that
there seems to be an erroneous
impression in Monroe county as
to the fact that the only property
that can be taxed for the opera
ton of the Overseas Road and Toll
Bridge District is the property To-
Gated within the ~ miles project
area of the ORR. and they con-
fuse the project area from the
area of the Overseas Road and
Toll Bridge District, which runs
from Lower Matecumbe Key to
and including Key West, and
that if this District does not take
in sufficient revenue to pay prin-
cipal due upon the bond interest
and redemption fund that the
REC. can then request this Dis
trict to certify to the tax asses
sor to be placed on the assess
ment rolls of Monroe county a
millage sufficient to pay for the
operating costs of operating the
Overseas Road, which includes
all property from Lower Mate
cumbe to and including Key West
and therefore for the protection
of the people of Monroe county
| would rather see that the tolls
be raised and the travelling pub
lie pay for the operating costs
through tolls than the. taxpayers
of Monroe county assessed for the
operating costs of the District.
Il am, therefore, voting no to
rescind the resolution raising the
tolls.
Another point was the $4,000
advertising program, which was
passed by the Board, subject to
approval by R.F.C., and which is
being handled by Mark Byron,
Inc. In the program are includ-
ed two highway boards in the
Miami area, itemized for $500;
continuation of the eight present
boards throughout the state for
STAG. four thousand dollars will