Hettinger v. Good Road District No. 1

113 P. 721, 19 Idaho 313, 1911 Ida. LEXIS 15
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 8, 1911
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 113 P. 721 (Hettinger v. Good Road District No. 1) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hettinger v. Good Road District No. 1, 113 P. 721, 19 Idaho 313, 1911 Ida. LEXIS 15 (Idaho 1911).

Opinions

STEWART, C. J.

This action was brought for the purpose of having determined the legality of the organization of Good Road District No. 1 of Washington county and a proposed issuance and sale of bonds of said district in the-sum of $10,000, to be issued for the purpose of raising funds with which to construct roads in said district.

The cause was tried and a judgment rendered, adjudging’ that Good Road District No. 1 was in all respects legal and valid, and that the proposed bond issue of said district in the sum of $10,000, bearing interest at the rate not to exceed 6% per annum, and maturing in twenty years with the-privilege of redemption after ten years, authorized at an election held on the 7th day of April, 1910, was in all respects-legal and valid, and that said bond issue was a legal and valid obligation of said Good Road District No. 1.

A motion for a new trial was made and overruled, and this appeal is from the judgment and from the order overruling the motion for a new trial.

Appellant assigns five errors. First, that there is such a conflict between the provisions of Rev. Codes, secs. 1056- and 1058, as amended by Laws of 3909, p. 172, as to be-irreconcilable and therefore renders such act invalid and inoperative. Sec. 1056, supra, among other things provides :• “For the purpose of providing moneys for the more extensive-improvement of roads in such districts, there is hereby appropriated and the county auditor shall set apart seventy-five per cent (75%) of the general tax levy raised for road purposes in the district to the credit of such district, which shall constitute a fund for the improvement of the roads in such districts.” While sec. 1058, supra, among other things provides: “When any such good road district is organized under the provisions of this chapter, it shall supersede all other-road districts or parts of districts within the limits of such good road district, and the good road commissioners shall have the power to levy and apply all road taxes eollected. within their respective districts.”

[317]*317It is very clear, however, that when these two sections are carefully examined there is no conflict in their provisions. See. 1056 makes it the duty of the board of good road commissioners of a district to provide for a tax levy each year within their respective districts, upon the assessable property within such district, sufficient to pay the interest on bonds outstanding against such district, also to pay any other indebtedness incurred during the year in which such levy is made. And this section further provides: “For the purpose of providing moneys for the more extensive improvement of roads in sueh district, there is hereby appropriated and the county auditor shall set apart seventy-five per cent (75%) of the general tax levy raised for road purposes in the district to the credit of sueh district. ’ ’

"While this section provides for two sources for the raising of revenues to be used in a good road district, the first ■by a special tax, and the second by the general tax levy ■made by the board of county commissioners, still it is apparent that the language used in sec. 1058, “and the good ■road commissioners shall have the power to levy and apply -all road taxes collected within their respective districts,” has reference to the taxes levied and collected by the board ■of good road commissioners within the district, and has no reference to the 75% of the general tax levy made by the board of county commissioners, notwithstanding the fact that the latter is set apart to said district's and authorized to be expended within the same. This construction of the language found in sec. 1058 perfectly harmonizes these two sections. This construction is clearly indicated when we take into consideration the language of this section which follows the above-quoted provision: “It shall be the duty of the board of county commissioners to apportion to such good road district all road and poll taxes collected or levied within their district.” This clearly indicates that the legislature was dealing with the special tax authorized to be levied by the commissioners of the road district, and not with the 75% of the general tax levy referred to in sec. 1056.

[318]*318Second. It is contended that the act authorizing the organization of good road districts is repugnant to the provisions of sec. 19, art. 3 of the state constitution. This section, among other things, provides: “The legislature shall not pass local or special laws in any of the following enumerated eases .... opening, altering, maintaining, working on, or vacating roads, highways, streets, alleys, town plats, parks, cemeteries, or any public grounds not owned by the state.” This section of the constitution prohibits the legislature from passing a law which is local or special with reference to “opening, altering, maintaining, working on, or vacating roads, highways, etc.” The good roads law, however, is not local or special as used in this section of the constitution. It is general in its application and applies alike to all sections of the state where the taxpayers thereof are willing to assume the burden of additional taxation for the purpose of improving the roads within such section, and applies to all good road districts within the state, and relates to all of a class, and is like in its operation to the organization of cities and villages within the state, irrigation districts, and other municipalities, which are provided for by a general law. (Boise Irr. etc. v. Stewart, 10 Ida. 38, 77 Pac. 25, 321.)

r Third. It is contended that because of the provisions of Í sec. 1056, which provides that 75% of the general tax levy made by the board of county commissioners for road purposes is set apart to a good road district and the remaining 25% is to be expended by the county commissioners upon the roads of the county outside of such good road district, it is. double taxation, and contrary to the provisions of sec. 5, rfart. 7 of the constitution. There is no merit in this conten1 tion. There is only one tax levy made by the board of county commissioners for road purposes, and the fact that 75% of the general tax levy made by the board of county commissioners within a road district is set apart by the county auditor to such district and the remaining 25% is authorized to be expended by the board of county commissioners upon the roads of the county outside of such good road district, does not make the property of such district subject to double [319]*319taxation. There is no taxing the same property twice during the same year for the same purpose, while other like and similar property is taxed only once during the same period for the same purpose. The 25% which goes to the road fund of the county is authorized to be expended by the board of county commissioners for maintaining and repairing public bridges and public highways, and directly and indirectly benefits the taxpayers of the district. Such expenditure is authorized to be used in constructing and maintaining a general road system within the county, thus affording opportunities for the inhabitants of the various districts to pass from one section of the county to another. It is the application of the fund received by taxation and not a double taxation of the same property.

Sec. 882 of the Rev.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Idaho Power Co. v. Three Creek Good Roads District
390 P.2d 960 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1964)
Board of Trustees v. Board of County Commissioners
359 P.2d 635 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1961)
BOARD OF COUNTY COM. OF LEMHI COUNTY v. Swensen
327 P.2d 361 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1958)
Yellowstone Pipe Line Company v. Drummond
287 P.2d 288 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1955)
State Ex Rel. Nielson v. Lindstrom
191 P.2d 1009 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1948)
Nowers v. Oakden
169 P.2d 108 (Utah Supreme Court, 1946)
Ada County v. Wright
92 P.2d 134 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1939)
Idaho Gold Dredging Co. v. Balderston
78 P.2d 105 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1938)
Oregon Short Line Railroad v. Washington County
30 P.2d 198 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1934)
Davidson Building Co. v. Mulock
235 N.W. 45 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1931)
Midwest Hotel Co. v. State Board of Equalization
273 P. 696 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1929)
Idaho County v. Fenn Highway District
253 P. 377 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1926)
Thomas v. Boise City
138 P. 1110 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1914)
Ferbrache v. Drainage District No. 5
128 P. 553 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1912)
Shoshone Highway District v. Anderson
125 P. 219 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1912)
Pioneer Irrigation District v. Walker
119 P. 304 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1911)
Emmett Irrigation District v. Shane
113 P. 444 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1911)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
113 P. 721, 19 Idaho 313, 1911 Ida. LEXIS 15, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hettinger-v-good-road-district-no-1-idaho-1911.