Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1900 — Gravel Road Construction Funds. [ARTICLE]

Gravel Road Construction Funds.

the payment for the construction of gravel roads reads as follows: County Treasurer shall sell bonds at not less than their face value, and the proceeds shall be kept as a separate and specific FCNp to pay for , the construction of the particular road or roads for which they were issued, and shall be paid by him to the contractor upon warrant of the Auditor as directed by the Board of Commissioners. The CommissiOßersahall orderthe same to be paid in such amounts and at such times as they may agree, BUT NO PAYMENT SHALL BE MADE BY THE COMMISSIONERS for MORE THAN EIGHTY (80) PERCENT. OF THE ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE OF WORK DONE BY THE CONTRACTOR. NOR SHALL THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACT BE PAID UNTIL THE ROAD SHAUL HAVE BEEN RECEIVEDASCOMPLETED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS."

In every estimate made by the engineer on the Keener tp., gravel roads, so far as we have observed from the records, the full amount of the estimate was allowed, contrary to the statutes, and it is now publicly admitted by the county officials that the construction fund is exhausted, the last report of the auditor—Jan. 1, 1900—showing but $566.11 in the Keener tp. gravel road fund, and no doubt this was a balance received from taxes, and not a part of the construction fund. Still there is some five or six miles of the road uncompleted! Had the 20 per cent, been kept back as the statute requires there would still be over $6,000 of the original construction fund in the county treasury. As it is there is nothing, and our guess is that nothing more will be done toward completing the road and neither will the county make any effort in the matter, for the simple reason that jt has no case.