OCR Text |
Show these conditions and respectfully ask that the commission consider our petition for relief at this time." James T. Gardner, chairman of the Utah county commission, explained ex-plained that several blanket raises had been made on farm lands outside out-side of the city limits since 1D1S, while farm lands within the city limits had remained approximately the same every year. He said that an increase of 45 per cent hud been made on improved farm lauds, while the reduction made since 11)21 and including the present reduction only 1 amounted to 37 per cent. J. W. Dangerfield asked if the farmer was hit any harder than CITY FARMERS 1 ASK FOR TAX REDUCTION County Commission Asked to Lower Tax Levy on City Farms. Farmers owning land within I Provo city limits Monday peti- any other class of workman, auu u it was justice to lower the assessed valuation in one section of the county and thereby raise the taxes on the people in the other sections. "Is the farmer hit any harder than the wage earner who now Is making about 2.50 a day aud has to pay taxes on his home in the city';" inquired Mr. Dangerfield ot the commission. "It seems to me that all classes are hit just as hard as the farmer. My taxes in the city have doubled within the last two years. It appears to me that the city people in the county will have to pay the increase necessary neces-sary to take care of the decreased assessed valuation outside of cities. ' Frank Spencer, who owus a large fruit orchard on the West Drive, declared that orchards are tioned the Utah county commission to lower the assessed valuation of such lands 10 per cent similar to the reduction made on improved farm lands outside of incorporated, cities in Utah county. After proper explanations had been made it was decided that a committee from the farmers should go over the assessed valuation of the farm property within Provo citv and adjust any differences that ma'v exist between it and farm lands outside the city. Andrew Knudsen headed the delegation. He explained that during dur-ing the' past few years the farmers in the west section of Provo city have been suffering for years from one thing and another. He referred to the flood condition a few years ago when certain sections of land there were made unfit for agricnl- ture. During last year, he said,, the fruit crop was a failure and this venr it seemed to be no better. "We would like to have you either lower our assessed valuation 10 per cent as you did other farm hinds or else reconsider your action in making that reduction," said Mr. Knudsen. "During the past four years we have been unable to pay our taxes from the crops we harvested har-vested from those lands. The farmers farm-ers in the west part of Provo have : suffered more than my of the : farmers in Utah couuty. We nae 1 had our land under water for years and still been obliged to pay taxes on them. We have to pay high city I assessed much higher than are any i , other kinds of lands. He said that ' during the past few yours none ot i the fruit growers have been able to pay the taxes on their orchards and have gone heavily in debt. Luciun N. Hinckley wanted to know if the reduction granted farmers outside the cities would in-: crease the taxes for those living inside the city. If so, he desired u j reduction in the assessed valuation j of his land, otherwise he was will- ing to let things stand us they are. : He could see a danger in the com-! com-! mission lowering the valuation ot ' all those who came in to complain, 1 as no one would know where ii ' would end. - it was finally agreed . that the farmers should select u couiniiuec who with the county assessor will go over the assessed valuation of the farm lauds of the Provo district. dis-trict. In case it is found that farm laud within the city is assess- ed higher than the same kind of i farm laud outside of the city the i necessary change will be made, uc-j uc-j cording to Chairman Gardner. taxes on our property city, against our wishes, has annexed an-nexed our lands. I "It is very little benefit that we; derive from being within the city limits. We never get any of our roads sprinkled, and but very little fire protection on account ot tne 'water situation. We are paying, I the same tax on our farm lands as s paid for property in the ben rt of. the citv. We have thought of withdrawing with-drawing from the city many times, bu personally I have been against such a move as I thought we should assist as much as possible m build-in" build-in" a city here. "It is a pitv that the farmers are not assessed ou their income as are manv others. The farms are assessed as-sessed for much more than they c-ui be sold for at the present time. No one is in the market for land ' now so von couldn't sell it nc ; matter how little you hold it at "We are suffering under all ol I |