Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1888-03-25
TACOM A.
AssEssAExr DasrRlCr.
4 pnAvr on Al oPuuIos M cry1.AzIoaHxI
CAAaoLx WHICH n 10 m LAID NJ
IoR1 rHR C1TY COUNCIL Yoa


oAA1oLL WHICH u 70 N LAID n
HoR8 fHR CIfY COUNCIL yoa
TIE ouIpAnux.
Twice havo the city council post
poned the matter Of establishing as
sessment diskziess for street improve
meots Ia the city under the pfovisions
commenced. of course, undes this plan
until u 10 settled how the Assessments
are to be mace. and hence Ii il o mat
ter Of the highest imp portasoe Just now.
The members OF the council confess 10
nos having q clear IN 3erstnndInQ OF
il, and have arranged to meet inform
ally and discuss IL. In tbs meantime
City Attorney Carroll has been set 90
work on legal opinien to be laid be-
fore the committee. He has been busiiy
engaged upon II, and yesterday draft
Of tbs opinioa fell into the hands Of
the PosT IHTELLIoEScER reporter. II
10 a. fohoVt:
To the Mayor and City Csuncil Of the
City Of Tacoms:- 0eLtlemen.-In the
matter Of street Improvement under the
act Of the legislature, 1881 8, | wish to
call Jour attention 10 some OF the pro.
Visions Of said Law, aud It's application
10 onr street improvement.
FIRST. This Law provides two modes
Of procedure, either of which the city
couucil may follow in ordering street
improvements, one Of which is By petit
tion signed by more than oue-half of
The resident ovness OF the land EN-
braced By essd assessment district. II
the council extends the assess sment dis
srict to the center Of blocks, then ma
jor,sy Of ell resident oxners to be taxed
must sign the petition. and rome but
resident owners can sign. The council
would have to determine II sioners were
residents or not, and would impose Q
Qesns task upon them on account Of the
Rss at nomber OF siGnefs, etc.
The other mode Of procedure II that.
IL She council deem such improvement
necessary. they may order the same BY
,vc thiscs vote of the council, etc. In
either event q petition signed BY three
persons asking for establishing an a.
sessmept district must frst be pre-
sented and an assessment district estab-
lished. Aud in either event the right Of
Q majority to remonstfa.e is reserved,
etc.
Nov II the council commence pro-
o. edipgs by petition the legality ct as
seesmests and depends upon proper
petit on, etc., and .mors casefulness ia
required than by vsie OF the council
declaring Improvement necessary.
10 view of this right nnder the law
and the further fact that at least three
owners pust ask for establishing an ss
sessmeut distric. and thst the right Of q
majority to remopstrate is reserved.
Ixonld suggest that tie city council
determiue what streets IL Is necessary
20 improve, that Is w3sre sssessmeat
districts are established, this determine
ton can be made by a resolution of 10.
teniiou 10 improve by merely recitine IN
said resolution that the council deem
sach Improvement necessary. Then II
there is no remonstrsrce the improve
mept can BE- made. IL there is remon-
STRANGE the coapcil can take such fufth-
er action es they may deem best.
At the time Of establishing the as
eessmept district the council must ot-
vide the same into sub divisions and III
the per cent. or proportion OF assess
ment to be improved upon su,h OF tie
sub divisions.
Thesa subdivisions are intended to
eoualiz. the assessment in proporti IN
to ben. fits. and in my opinion, from Q
oirei oil study Of the Law. 1t II INTENDED
to ohviste the old Law Of making prop
erty paw according TO assessed value.
Where the ssme would be ipeqaitabie
aud work q hardship. The charter Law,
providing ss 10 does for payment &C.
cordipg 20 assessed valae. in many cases
Is ineQo,tabie.
The manner OF pfopoftionin2 the cost
o, Improvement Spou0 the several snb-
diy.siI,us OF the assessment District
should be on the scale OF 100 per oeps.,
e. fellows: Say from A 10 K ssfess yea
make Eve Subdivisions
The subdivision neares: Pacific ave
noe, and consequently tbs highest tsf
saocid pay the largest proportion OF
inproysnerss, and the Subdivision al
K street should psy tie lowest proper
ton.
The proportion according to tax az
sessuaeui Sc provided by ceafset. rnakss
she Pacisi, asenua lot pay aosut 20 ",
ceu,. OF The shole improvement. aud n
street lo.s ~ per cent. You viii see
.aa, sEis ID ineqaitsble and vrcss.
Now snrpos- yo1 make the s1oaisi-
sious as follows, esea extending 70 osn
ter of bsccks:
First divisica. lots froSsira On 4
street; seeoad. lots fronting en- Pacific
ayrnas; tsisd. lots fronting on @ street
fourth, lots fronting On ID street; nfsh
lo.s fronting on Z street.; SIKH. iosi
f.ousias ca Tacoma avenns; sevs1sc
loss fronting on O street; eighth. bot
sroutiSs sn Yakims sv1nns. niLth. ios'
sroutias on l street; tenth. lois freni
srr on J street; slevesth, lots fronsia;
on X street.
Ina contract Of $1,000. Il los, ars
civ sion. ( psf cent, &sS.so yer io'
f&G0. Esfsy-tvo lots 10 third civissac
Is ser cent. tleU. OF So per lot. Fifty
tyo lots. fsas,s divsslou, ls Ger eent
slao, OF ga per loi. Fifty s~o lots =
f-th division, II rsE cent, fiiQo. or 81
p<r iss. Thirty eight loss In sixth dlsi
81 O 81 10 ter ceCi-. 1900. or f3& te
lot. Txensy. soaf lots IN sevscth DIV
slsn ., Ger eent-. s5oo, OF <2l ger 10
Txensy-sour lots .n eighth DIVISION 81
psr cest.. S5oo. or fal per ioi- fssni,
sorr lots. psrtn division, ct yer cent
$50. or tl7 ger iOs- fssEsy- focs io'
IA ,en,h dssisssn At PER csfat, *4ON. {
lxl- per lot. Twelve lots in eleventh .
vision ai p<r esrt, $50. OF $is pes 10