The Daily Record

Mayor Breaks Tie Again To Use Taxes On Private Land

By LOUIS DEARBORN
Record Staff Writer

The alignment of the city council for and against the new subdivision ordinance remained unchanged when it was put to a vote last night and once more Mayor Ralph E. Hanna defied the citizens and voted to break the tie and pass the measure.

He and two commissioners apparently ignored the wishes of the people as they steam-rollered the measure through.

The only change in procedure from the first passage of the measure was that Commissioner B. A. Bracey instead of Commissioner J. Leon Godwin made the motion for adoption of the ordinance and Godwin seconded the motion.

Commissioner Bracey made it very clear that he didn't care what citizens of the town think.

"LET 'EM CUSS"

"Let 'em cuss us," Commissioner Bracey remarked after passage of the measure, "they can't do any worse than they are doing now."

The measure provides that the developer of a subdivision be reimbursed at the rate of not more than fifty cents per linear foot for the labor cost on water installations in their development and the same amount on sewer installations.

This provision is written into the ordinance for the benefit of the property owners who are impatient and do not wish to wait for the town to do the work. Otherwise, the work can be done at the convenience of the town, at such time as the town employees are not busy elsewhere.

BASS AND BRYAN OPPOSE

Commissioner Bill Bryan stuck doggedly to his contention that it was not necessary to offer the work as an inducement to developers of subdivisions outside the town to come in. He insisted that the advantages of being in town far outweighed the cost of installations.

Commissioner J. V. Bass joined him in fighting for the tax payers.

The tenor of his argument was that the taxpayers of the town should not be forced to pay to develop private property and add to its value. "We're still paying on water and sewer bonds," he pointed out.

At this point, City Clerk Charles Storey interjected that the bonds were being paid off out of money received for the services and not through tax money.

"Sixty percent of the taxpayers in the town of Dunn do not own lots or other real estate," commented Commissioner Bass, the other opponent of the measure.

In an attempt to resolve the question of where the money would come from to do the work or pay for it, Mayor Ralph Hanna suggested that if there were no money the town could carry his (the developers') debt. There would only be a certain sum set up in the budget and no more.

"If we did that," Commissioner Bryan countered, "it might take all our income to pay interest."

"What's going to happen about balancing the budget?" inquired Commissioner Bass.

"You're stopped the minute the money runs out," added City Attorney I. R. Williams.

In spite of the opposition of Commissioners Bryan and Bass, however, the ordinance, whose cost to the taxpayers cannot be estimated, was passed, with the deciding vote cast by Mayor Hanna.

HANNA CALMS DOWN

Mayor Hanna appeared a little calmer last night than at the previous meeting and did not insist to any great length on trying to argue law with City Attorney I. R. Williams.

When Mayor Hanna, who is not a lawyer and has no legal training, tried to lay down the law to Mr. Williams at the last meeting, the city attorney threatened to walk out the door and suggested that the board get another lawyer.