| Show e ef f i t L I SL L. L Realtors Join Battle State Tax Hike While Salt Lake county state tax era en and the en dueled Thursday over the theof I of 01 the 10 Increase in real estate valuation ordered by the I state taxpayers and real estate groups t took up their po positions as tUI seconds on both sides The Salt Lake Real Estate board I was wa probing the possibility of legal action In support of ot the county commission with sIth moral support from the Apartment House of ot Utah Utah State Taxpayers' Taxpayers on the other hand favored the state tax commission The state agency ro rose e to its th own defense in a statement issued by Heber Bennion Jr chairman who said that the purpose of the Increase in increase increase in- in crease was to equalize valuations and not to Increase taxes The fact remains however that taxes were increased because of ot the failure allure of some local taxing officials officials officials of of- to reduce levies in accordance accordance accord accord- ance arice with the Increased values he pointed out Defends Hike lUko The action which the state tax commission took In Increasing real rca estate values was taken in full rull accordance with requirements of ot the law and within the prescribed prescribed prescribed pre pre- scribed time limits and was taken for the purpose of ot equalizing valUes value values val val- val valI I ue ues f of ot real estate with other classes of property throughout the state he continued I An extensive study of ot valuations valuations which had been made by the tax commission fully justified this said I That study showed that in 1929 th the total assessed valuation of real estate in Utah was In 1945 before the increase it had gone down to After the increase it rose to which represents approximately 68 of the 1929 valuation Echoing this view was Dr M. M H. H Harris executive secretary of the Utah State Taxpayers Taxpayers' ers ers' Asan The county's complaint is Irrelevant Irrelevant irrelevant vant he said There was ample opportunity to hold down taxes by decreasing the levy Injudicious Act In his opinion Dr Harris said the constitution upholds the tax commissions commission's a act action C t I ion 0 F. F although perhaps they acted injudiciously in this i instance by not acting earlier earlier earlier ear ear- lier than they did On the other side County Commissioner Commissioner Com Corn missioner George W. W Morgan said that he getting n minute minutes rest as protest after prat protest st was being filed in his office by y the besieging besieging be be- g taxpayers There seems to be a concerted effort to dump the whole problem m minto into the laps of the county commissioners commissioners com com- corn com missioners he said said even tho though gh nearly all of the objections are relevant to the valuation for which we are not to bla blame blame- e. e Officials to Meet Mee MeetA A meeting of ot the County Officials Officials' Officials Officials' Officials Officials' of Utah has been called for early next week he said to be attended by bv all assessors a and nd d attorneys th the si stile state t Dec Deci sion Bion on on a declaratory ry judgment suit to test the validity of ot the tax commissions commission's action vill be bl postponed postponed postponed post post- until after the e meeting Th The Salt Lake Real Estate board was also probing the possibility pos poe of ot legal action reported Richard F. F Harding executive vice president and hoped to have havea I a definite course of ot action outlined outlined outlined out out- outI lined by Thursday night Mr Harding explained the boards board's position to the on increase on the grounds that even at the old valuations residential income property taxes had been Increased by 14 14 an added expense ex cx- pense which O owners ers could not re recapture recapture recapture re- re capture owing to ceiling rents rent Further Increase I 1 Now for the state tax co coni- coni com com- mIssion to make a further tax increase increase in in- crease creMe by raising the valuations is entirely out of order he as as- as The s 's same me arguments are advanced advanced ad ad advanced by the Apartment House Assa isn of Utah according to Mr H Harding who 1 Is als also executive secretary of at that Apartment house proprietors are being strangled by the Increased assessments and increased levies he said |
