Show f ui Ii I l Toa 1 K i R r in WASHINGTON Br By Walter wailer shad t t t 11 use a 1 St M it w wu Owned federally Land Lind Yields Little Local Tax Tal IT IS axiomatic that whenever er real teal property U Sa taken off oft the tax du duo plicate pUcate one on of ot two things thin happens happen EIther your 11 local tax rate is I raised or the taxing unit simply collects lest less lea taxes This Thil brings brtna us 1 to the introduction of 01 a bin bW simultaneously in tn the house sad and senate which recognizes the fact that the federal government has h tak talc en over valuable properties in every state In In the union In hundreds of ot cases cuel the government has hal forced lo lo- lo local cal communities to assume aume in tn equitable tax burdens burdena as ai a J coo cones cones- quence qunce of 01 taking this property oft off the local tax duplicates duplicate The two bills hUIt set act op lip a commission of seven aena members U w determine Cad and pay pa to state ata and anti local governmental units ani contributions In to Un lieu f 1 f taxes tun tunoa on oa real property taken tate over ever by ib government ov eni Seri Sen Hugh Hogh Batter Bailer ef Nebraska Ii la apen sponsor aDlor or of 01 the measure In ta the senate euale while pep P Claire Eagle of California Is Is author all author or In the the house boose bou The Th measures represent several In-eral years of organization and pressure brought about by b the National AlSO Asso of or County Officials w which ch has hia hasan an aD ogee office here ber In Washington Wa and Is la representative of ot the various vartOUI elect elect- elected ed d county c officials In 40 0 states are are At the present time Ume there are ap apo ap- approximately proximately 40 separate laws law which provide various arlou methods method amounts and percentages of federal payments to tp state tate and local units uni of of govern govern- government overn- overn I ment In hi lieu of taxes tax on lands landa taken I over by bJ the federal government In I many cases e however however particularly during durin the war war years eara when govern overn went ment exercised the power of emi end nent dent domain and took tool over thou thou- thousands sands of acres of 01 lands landl including high priced agricultural lands In tn ru ru- ru rural ral areas and equally desirable and high cost COlt Industrial sites Ue in cities absolutely no taxes or money money in leu feu eu of taxes is ts being heln collected on these thee lands landa Serious Problem in lit West The rapid growth of 01 government love ent ownership of lands landa particularly a in Inthe inthe the western states has baa ha led various organizations Including the e U S chamber of commerce commerce to protest protest For Vor Instance the tb federal govern lo government ment owns owna 87 per cent of thA UIe total IJ M a Ym K A ot oJ Tf Utah U I lend of n 2 per ant ent anti 73 f 9 pet per pe cent of 01 Arizona The gov gov 01 owns 41 48 minion of of the million acres acre of land in California and these figures In varying per per- apply to all aU the western states eta But even In eastern states Itt government nt ownership of land has hal Increased in It the past several years The government owns 12 per cent of New Hampshire 7 per cent of Michigan 5 S per cent of North Caro Caro- Carolina lina tins and various smaller percent percent- percentages ages in all other states In IA Baltimore where the huge hare Glenn meDD Martin airplane factory op op crates the local unit of government la Is collecting no taxes on this this- W highly hibl valuable Industrial plant compels compels- tag ing In many acres acrel It Is la owned own d by bythe the army arm and operated under lease leale by b Glenn Martin company There are similar situations In many maa cities cIU As Aa one Instance the navy built bul t a tremendous supply depot d pot south of Ogden Utah It acquired hundreds of at acres acrea of the best beet truck and farm farmland land This land was wu taken off olf the tax tax- duplicates and revenue of ot the county COWl government diminished On the other hand construction of the th depot required increased activity on the part of the county New schools were needed for tor children of ot the em em- employees employees of ot the naval depot addi addi- additional add policing was wu required costs COlta of highway maintenance rose rapid ly 13 so 10 this acquisition by the fed fed- eral government reduced the county cO tax revenue and at the same lame time Increased county costs coats Redress Laws Law Chattic Ch tie tic The National Association of COWl Coon ty Officials Ot clala regards the issue as I one of the most serious problems con fronting local governments because it jt it goes directly to the heart of the maintenance of ol local government Under tinder the present code of 40 laws laWI attempts to make some rep tepo r Uon for tor this federal acquisition of oi teal real property there thu-re la Is no regularity of 01 amounts or or or times for payments payment Formulas Formulae are calculated in each case cue Thus Thue it is la difficult or Impossible sible ible for tor county governments to bud get these items The Butler BaUer bin bill S and the Engle Engie bill 2725 represent an aa at at at- attempt tempt to bring some lome order lute InU the picture and set d up a policy of or sya al and regular payments These There regular payments shall hail In hi hiDO inno no DO case cane be In to excess of the tax revs reve rev nue nee the property would produce U fl privately owned ow ed State and aDd local governmental units are to be paid for all aU property properly owned by b the fed ted eral curl government i with exception ol III courthouses customhouses customhouse mints minh hospitals and other like properties which are art specifically ex ex- ex- ex eluded from previsions tf of f the th bill blU It likely will be expensive but probably no more so 0 than the thi in- in increased In taxes creased creu creased taxes occasioned by taking duplicates d at the local level |