12 



I. A. A. RECORD— June, 1933 



.■.■•.',.:'5'*-lf« ...<•* • 



Three Sets Of 

 Gas Tax Bills 

 In Legislature 



I. A. A. Sponsors Measures To Use Gas Tax To Reduce 

 x4" •> :; And Replace Property Taxes 



THREE sets of bills providing 

 for the apportionment and use 

 of the three-cent state gas tax 

 are now pending in the legislature at 

 Springfield. One set is advocated by 

 a commission of legislators estab- 

 \ lished by the last General Assembly. 

 :' ; ;• Rep. David Hunter of Rockford is 

 .;: ■' chairman of the commission. 

 ;'..-. The Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 .. ■> tion is sponsoring another series of 

 %.',•.■• bills being handled by Rep. McClure 



' and Rep. Hall in the House. 

 ,: ; ., A third bill is reported to be spon- 

 V '', sored by the Illinois Municipal League 

 : and was offered by Reps. Doyle and 

 '-')': i{ Galvin. 



'I The Commission bill, H. B. 553, 



: •: would leave one-third of the three- 

 ■ ■,;.'■; cent gas tax with the State Depart- 

 ment of Public Works and Buildings, 

 ; . v.' one-third in the counties as at present 

 .'•.•on basis of motor license fees, and 

 .,/r '; would give one-third to cities, villages, 

 and incorporated towns. The Doyle 

 ; • ;•. and Galvin bills would apportion gas 

 ;.; '. tax revenue in the same way. The Mc- 

 Clure-Hall bills, sponsored by the I. 

 A. A., would give one-third of the gas 

 "• - tax fund to counties for state aid 

 roads as at present, one-third to coun- 

 ties for township and road district 

 roads, and one-third to cities, villages 

 and incorporated towns. 



The Commission and I. A. A. bills 

 would distribute one-third of the 

 funds to cities and villages in propor- 

 tion to the population of each munici- 

 pality. The Doyle and Galvin bills 

 would give the one-third for cities and 

 villages to counties in proportion to 

 motor vehicle license fees to residents 

 thereof to be allotted prior to January 

 . 1, 1934 to each city or village in pro- 

 portion to the population thereof and 

 ; after that date in proportion to motor 

 vehicle license fees paid by residents 

 of such cities and villages. 



The I. A. A. bills would apportion 



■ :.v one cent of the gas tax to each coun- 



..■ ty to be distributed to townships and 



road districts in proportion to total 

 average lawful extensions of road and 

 bridge taxes therein in 1931 and 1932; 

 to be further allotted to each township 

 or road district therein in proportion 

 to the total average lawful extensions 

 of road and bridge taxes in each in 

 1931 and 1932. 



The Commission bill would use the 

 one cent retained by the state for the 

 construction and maintenance of bond 

 issue roads, federal aid roads, high- 

 ways, belt lines and separation of 

 grades. The Doyle and Galvin bills 

 would use the one cent to the state 

 as provided in the present laws. 



The commission bills would have 

 roads built by the counties out of their 

 share of gas tax funds approved by 

 the State Department. The Doyle and 

 Galvin bills would use this one cent for 

 the construction and maintenance of 

 roads and streets subject to approval 

 by the State Department. The Mc- 

 Clure-Hall bills supported by the I. 

 A. A., would leave the construction 

 and maintenance of state aid roads by 

 counties as in the present law. 



While neither the Commission nor 

 the Doyle and Galvin bills would give 

 any gas tax funds to the townships or 

 road districts, the McClure-Hall bills 

 sponsored by the I. A. A., would ap- 

 portion one-third of the gas tax rev- 

 enue for construction and mainte- 

 nance of all-weather roads or by refer- 

 endum for paying bonds heretofore or 

 hereafter issued for such construc- 

 tion. Township or road district offi- 

 cials specify the section of road to be 

 improved and the type of construc- 

 tion. The county superintendent of 

 highways must approve such plans 

 and specifications. 



The McClure-Hall bills, sponsored 

 by the I. A. A., have for their first 

 consideration the reduction of levies 

 against property for road, bridge and 

 street purposes in the townships and 

 road districts and in cities, villages 

 and incorporated towns. There is no 



provision for reducing levies against 

 property for road and street purposes 

 in the other bills. 



The Commission Bills, H. B. 551 

 to 559, provide for a county-wide 

 referendum in each county Novem- 

 ber, 1934, to submit the question of 

 abolishing townships and local road 

 districts and the transfer of such 

 jurisdiction over local roads to the 

 county superintendent of highways. In 

 any county where this proposition is 

 approved the county board is em- 

 powered to levy a tax up to 30 cents 

 or by referendum not over 40 cents 

 for construction and maintenance of 

 all state and local roads. 



The I. A. A. bills would reduce 

 township and road district taxes by 

 cutting the present maximum of 33 

 cents to 15 cents, or by referendum to 

 25 cents. The maximum rate required 

 for the preceding two years to enable 

 any town or road district to secure 

 county aid in building bridges and 

 roads is also reduced to 15 cents. 



r^j 



Would Detach Farm 



> Lands From Villages | -r 



Senate bill No. 552 supported by the 

 Illinois Agricultural Association would v 

 make it possible for owners of farm 

 lands Ijring within the corporate limits ; •• 

 of cities and villages to disconnect v., \ 

 them under certain conditions and '■ ' 

 thereby escape certain tax levies from '^^~\~. 

 which they receive no benefit. 



The bill provides that the owner of 

 any tract of land lying within such 

 corporate limits may have the same 

 disconnected if the tract of land: (1) 

 contains 10 acres or more; (2) is used 

 exclusively for agricultural purposes; 

 (3) is not subdivided into lots and 

 blocks; (4) is not located on the bor- 

 der or boundary of the city, town or ... 

 village; and (5) is not bounded on ;^,, 

 more than two sides by lands sub- /; 

 divided into lots and blocks. 



The owner shall file a petition in .: 

 the county or circuit court of the coun- 

 ty where the land, or the greater part 

 thereof, is situated. The petition must 

 set forth facts in support of such dis- 

 connection. If the court finds that the 

 allegations are true, and that such 

 tract is entitled to disconnection under 

 the Act, the tract shall be ordered 

 disconnected. 



The disconnection shall not exempt 

 such land from taxation for the pur- 

 pose of paying any indebtedness con- -; 

 tracted by the corporate authorities 

 of the municipalities, but the tract 

 shall be assessed and taxed for unpaid 

 debts as if it had not been discon- > 

 nected until the indebtedness is com- 

 pletely paid. , 



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