Salt Lake Telegram | 1916-07-02 | Page 26 | New System of Taxation Put to Test

NEW NEB SYSTEM Of CE TAXATION PUT TO TEST 0 County Assessor Fi Finishes Finishes i h t I Work Talks of Changed Chang d dF F Methods J. J J f By A A. A H. H PARSONS 1 County Assessor v J. J The The 1916 assessment is completed d dr r rand and whether the work is well done for or orill ill III done it has been made on a strictly business bas basis s with absolute di disregard g rd to Its effe effect t On on the personal or po political it all j fortune of anybody connected Wi thel he i assessors assessor's office WAn W- W d dAn I An honest effort has been matte madr tf S SP P promised in the platforms Of both DM ties supporting the coalition r ri 1914 1314 to give every taxpayer a squire e deal A survey of the situation after t the e limited levies were effected py by the to state legislature in 1915 disclosed t e fact that there was a large amount of pf property both real and personal on on the tax rolls at 50 to 70 per cent of Us its full value while in the aggregate the 40 per cent theory held very close close- close there was no uniformity and individual l assessments varied all aU the way from t 5 per cent to per cent of full fuU value I The requirements of the various taxing taxing taxing tax tax- ing authorities were also tal taken en into consideration particularly those of the board of education in Salt Lake City The board had made a levy of 9 mills for general purposes purposes in 1915 and was limited to 3 35 5 mills mills- for 1916 a 1916 a trifle less than 40 per cent Since its reve Ie in 1915 fell feU far short of its requirements s it was apparent that unless the 1916 valuations were close to two and one- one half times those of 1915 th city schools would be in a worse predicament predicament next year than this A similar condition prevailed with both the county and the state administrations though with less urgency To insure the necessary revenues for forthe forthe forthe the various taxing units therefore it was necess necessary ry to place all aU valuations on a high level thE level the highest level which can be justified justified and and and to place these valuations valuations val val- nations equitably and uniformly has been th the duty of the assessors assessor's office There are about three hundred miles of main streets in the city and 1 In addition nearly every block has from two to six courts or lanes and to estimate estimate esti estl- mat mate the true value of every foot foot of frontage involved has been a a. task the magnitude of which can hardly be ap ap ap- pre by anyone who has not at attempted at- at tempted it When it is taken into consideration that the assessors office has attempted to estimate the true value of parcels of property of a thousand different different dif dif- dif dif- ferent characters ranging jn fn n value valJe from irom potted potte plants at 1 cent each h to a railroad at five and one half one millions J it would seem beyond the possibility of human endeavor to accomplish it without any mistakes The net result will be that cert certain certain- ln localities and in general the co county nty outside the city will have a little heavier taxes than last year while certain localities within the city pity limits will have less taxes It Is perhaps fair that the burden be he shifted somewhat and that those who have for years been taxed below the tIte general level should carry a little heavier weight while those who have borne the heavier burden are fairly entitled entitled en- en titled to some relief No discrimination has been made in favor of any section of of the county or any class of property prop prop- erty nor any group or clause of citizens It is with pleasure that public ac acknowledgment acknowledgment ac- ac is made of the universal l good spirit in which the community athas at large has accepted the changed syStem system tem and of th the cheerful readiness with which the the- larger business concerns have furnished needed Information It is believed that after the necessary nece sary adjustments are made the public generally will endorse the full value assessment idea