The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-12-05
TO PEOPLE OFF AUGUSTA.

FELLOW CITIZENS By an act of January "a
1872, any person feeling himself aggrieved by the
assessment of of 1870, had the right to apply t.
the County or Corporation Court for reduction
! OF any assessment made IN pursuance Of the ac
| of 1870 provided the application was made with
in six terms of said court next ensuing after the
passage Of said act.
BY subsequent act, taking effect February l,
1872 it was provided that upon petition of d ma
| Jorlty of land owners in any county or corpora>
ton, or upon the petition of the Board of Super
vlsors Of any county, or upon the petition of a
| majority of land owners in any Township of any
county, it should be the duty of the court of such
county or corporation, at the March term of said
court in the year 1872, to appoint and associate
two freeiiolders Of said county corporation of
experience and judgment with the assessor for
the county or corporation, who should constitute
| board Of re assessment and who should pro-
coed to the value of lands and lots with i'm
proyements thereon, in their respective counties,
corporations and townships, as the same were ar
ranged and established by law.
But the people OF Augusta, by a Ia1Iure com-
ply with the provisions of the acts referred to "a
bove, before their expiration, have derived little
or no relief from an onerous and unconstitutional
assessment.
The assessment of 1870 was unjust to many
counties in the State, but particularly so to Au-
gusta For proof and illustration of the enormous
and disproportionate revenue which Augusta CO.,
under her present uncorrected assessment, is
compelled to pay. you will not have to travel far
| ther than the adjoining comfy Of Rocking ham.
| In that county the assessment OF 1870 was a de-
crease of SOL, 500 on the assessment of 1856 and
| subsequently, by availing herself Of the act of
February LIST, 1879, she made a still further re-
duction Of $500, III 90, that her reduction up
on the two assessments, amounts to ST. 6O3, $4,000,
which is equivalent to a reduction nearly one
| fifth or 20 per cent of the assessment of 1856
| Now by applying this percentage of reduction
to Augusta county, essed in 1855. at $10211,-
S14.OO, you have q reduction of So. O42 1922 CO.
and if to this the increase the assessment Of
| 1885, made by the assessment of 1870, amounting
| to 81 ,437, 906, be added, shows that Augusta
county is improperly assessed with three and a
half millions Of dollars of realty and consequent.
ly is paying thereon at the present rate of taxa
ton sannually $l7, 50O-every dollar of which is
III excess of fair assessment as is shown by
the comparison with Rockingham county.
Other counties could be cited which would show
in q still more aggravated form the enormous ex-
cess of taxes paid by the people of Augusta, and
| therefore the comparison made between her and
Rockingham is by no means unfair, but is below
an average of the counties of the State, rather
than above it.
| have never heard that there is any special To-
cal enhancement, in the values of Augusta lands
as compared with Rockingham or other portions
OF the State that will account for the dispropor-
tionately enlarged revenue drawn from her peo
pie
It has been suggested, however, that the mar
ket price OF property in Staunton, has contribu-
ted greatly TO the enhanced assessment, but the
records show q low assessment of real estate in
Staunton, and hence the disproporton paid BY
the entire county falls upon the people of the
county and not upon those of the town
do not presume that our people desire to nav
this unjust and unconstitutional excess, and /
therefore suggest and advise that they forward
petitions from every portion of the county to the
Legislature setting forth their grievances in this
regard and asking relief from the same
1t IS by no means certain, in fact doubtful.
whether the Legislature hvaing provided mode
for your relief unavailed of by your local author
tiles, will take action again in your special
behalf, particularly as the Augusta delegation is
divided upon the propriety of the measure, unless
they are beset by long and clamorous petitions
from the people til emselves.
This is a matter of such serious concern to the
people ofthis community, that have felt it to be
my representative duty to bring it to their atten-
ton, and to urge upon them the importance of
moving IN the matter at once.
If the people uphold the hands Of their repre-
sentatlves relief may yet be obtained Without
their active cooperation, their representatives are
poWerless and their cause hopeless.
ALEXANDER B. COCHRAN