The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-31
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Tax Assessment and Collection.

TO the Editor of the indianapolis Journals:
An experience of sixteen years in the county
treasurers Office convinces me that some changes
in the methods pursued would be beneficial On
the 9th day of February next begins the annual
tax sale. AS the law is now constituted, the sale
of piece of real estate for taxes involves both
the delinquent and current taxes. could never
see good reason for selling property for other
than the delinquency The law gives a tax
payer until the third Monday in April to pay the
current tax. A failure during the year to
pay the November installment involves the
entire tax of the next year in the sale, and in
cludes the personal property. which the Supreme
Court decides must be held for the tax on the
real before sale is valid. Under the old law Of
1863, the penalty for redemption was 90 per
cent of the entire amount involved. The law
made the penalty severe to deter owners from
allowing their property to be delinquent and
it has seemed to me if the law had been amended
so as to include the delinquency only leaving the
90 per cent penalty stand, it would be to the ad-
vantage of all concerned In regard to the method
of collecting taxes we certainly have the most
cumbersome and expensive plan that could be
devised. Two entire sets of tax-books-called
the duplicate, must be made every year at a heavy
expense to the tax payers, when single set
would answer the purpose far BETTER and do
away with the eternal hitch in keeping the two
in good humor.
The Auditor should issue the tax bill from his
Office, and the treasurer should receipt and &C
count for the collections. This would In q
manner consolidate the auditor, treasurer
and assessor and render the work
is almost a human impossiblity to make two
sets of books such as the property of a county
like this one requires and have them anything
near alike; they are duplicate only in name st
best. and of no practical value.
The Offices of city and county treasurer should
be consolidated also the assessors Offices. There
is no reason in the world for having two estab
lishments, and if the comfort and
convenience of the public is of any
value that alone is sufficient to re-
quire such consolidation, to say nothing
of the saving of expense to the taxpayers. We
ought to have a law forever debarring any man
subject to poll from voting who cannot show
his tax receipt therefor. We have an average
of 400 names on the duplicate for each letter of
the alphabet of parties assessed with personal and
poll tax ony-not over one sixth of these pay
taxes as the duplicate will show at glance. and
yet they are the bowling element in politics,
and the ones you must bow and scrape to if you
want position as public officer Make them
pay their taxes or keep silent when tax payers
vote. Every tax receipt issued should express
the description of the lot with its value and
value OF improvements thereon Our appralse-
ment is made once in six years and many errors
in valuation creep in by constant copying. A
comparison of receipts flied as specified would
show any discrepancy. The term of the county
treasurer should be four years and should begin
and end Jan. l. At that date the new duplicate
is presented ana at no other date is there SO
little dovetailing of collections, and the treas
urer would have only his own collections to &C
count for or as nearly SO possible. A treas
urer cannot be expected to devote his energies to
the Office for a less period than four years.
EDWARD n. RICHARDS,
Depty. Treasurer Marion county.