The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-11-28
.,s., s-e.sss.Lsi tpE AUGUSTA.

F.11ow. C1r,zENs:-By an act of January q,
1872 any person feeling himself aggrleved ny the
assessment Of Of 1870 had the right to Apply to
the County or Corporation Court for q reduction
of any assessment made in pursuance OF Inc act
Of 1870 provided the application was made win
in six terms of said court next ensuing aite1 nv
passage Of said act.
By o subsequent act, taking effect February l.,
1872, it was provided that upon petition OF ma
jority of land owners in any county or corpora-
ton, or upon the petition OF the Board OF super
visors of any county, or upon the pettloh OF
majority of land owners in any Township OF any
county, it should be the duty OF the court OF suen
county or corporation, at the March term OF SAID
court, in the year 1872. to appoint and associate
two freeholders of said county or 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 assess the value OF lands and lots, with I'm
provements thereon, in their respective counties.
corporations and townships, as the same were al
ranged and established by law.
But the people of Augusta, by failure to COM
ply with the provisions of the acts referred TO a.
bove, before their expiration, have derived little
or no relief from an onerous aud 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 ner present uncorrected assessment, is
compelled to pay. you will not have to travel far
ther than the adjoining comfy of Rockingham.
| In that county the assessmentos 1871 was de-
crease of $612, 800 on the assessment of 1856 and
subsequently, by availing herself of the act Of
| February LIST. 1872 she made still further re-
duction of $780, 90, so that her reduction up
ON the two assessments, amounts to 81, sos, 6oOOO,
which is equivalent to reduction nearly one
| fifth or 20 per cent of the assessment OF 1856.
| Now by applying this percentage of reduction
to Augusta county aforesaid in 1885, at $lO,2ll
8l400, you have o reduction Of 50, O42 .322.OO
and if to this the increase the assessment OF
| 1856, made by the assessment of 1870 amounting
| to 81, 437, 906, be added, itshows that Augusta
county is improperly assessed with three nd a
half millions of dollars of realty and consequent.
ly is paying thereon at the present rate of taxa
ton ANNUALLY ST., 50O-every dollar of which is
| in excess Of fair assessment as is shown by
| the comparison with Rockingham county.
Othercounties could be cited which would show
| in 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
Us C0IuphFeu Will hOCktuSuAm UT OIHoF pOFtlOuS
of the State, that will account for tho dispropor-
tionately enlarged revenue drawn from her PEG
pie.
1t has been suggested, however, that the mar.
ket price of property in Stauuton, has contribu-
ted greatly to the enhanced assessment, but the
records show a low assessment of real estate in
Staunton, and hence the dsproportion paid by
the entire county falls upon the people of the
county and not upon those of the town.
l do not presume that people desire to pay
this unjust and unc Institutional 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
It is by no means certain, in fact doubtful.
whether the Legislature hvaing provided a 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 tn emselyes.
This is a matter of such serious concern to the
people of this 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.
II the people uphold the hands Of their repre-
sentatives relief may yet be obtained. Without
their active cooperation, their representatives
powerless and their cause hope ess.
ALEXANDER b. COCHRAN.