State v. Simons
State v. Simons
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The question upon .this appeal is. whether a resident of a city of the second class is liable to prosecution in a justice’s court for failure to pay a poll tax under the provisions of chapter 248 of the-Laws of 1911.
The statute referred to is a general road law. Section 15 makes each city of the second and third class a road district, authorizes the appointment of a street commissioner to perform the duties in the city prescribed in the act for the trustee in a township, empowers the city to use the road tax in paving, macadamizing or grading streets, and gives authority to pass-ordinances to carry out the provisions of the act. The
The defendant is a resident of Girard, a city of the second class. The city has not passed an ordinance to carry out the provisions of the statute referred’ to. The defendant is in the class of persons designated by the statute as liable for the tax. He was duly notified by the street commissioner, and failed to pay within the time allowed. His contention is that he is not liable for the tax, because the city has passed no ordinance on the subject, and that the state has no authority to prosecute him for failure to pay it.
The tax is imposed by the statute. The authority of cities to pass ordinances to carry out the provisions of the statute is permissive. Under such ordinances regulations may be made for the application of the taxes to street improvements within the limitations prescribed by the law, and for exemptions therein authorized. Possibly other regulations may be made consistent with • the statute. But the adoption of such an ordinance is not a condition of liability for the- tax, the collection of which is a part of the general scheme for highway improvement in the cities referred to, as well as the townships of the state.
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The State of Kansas v. A. M. Simons
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. 1. Poll Tax — General Road Law Applicable to Cities — No Ordinance Required. The passage of an ordinance under the per missive authority given to cities of the second and third classes by the general road law (Laws 1911, ch. 248) to carry out the provisions of the act relative to poll taxes is not a 'condition upon which liability for the tax depends. 2. - Same. In the absence of such an ordinance a resident of a city liable for the tax may be prosecuted in a justice’s court for failure to make payment after due notice.