The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-21
SENG REVIEWS IT
THE COUNTY ASSESSOR REPORTS
I'm DETAIL THE REASSESS-
MENT WORK.
VALUE OF CITY PROPERTY
HES BEEN REDUCED $2s, 500, 900, OR
SOMETHING OVER "a PER
CENT.
IMPROVEMENTS REDUCED ALSO.
Total Reduction for the Entire
County Nearly 20 Per Cent of
Valuation of "a.
VALUE OF CITY PROPERTY
IMPROVEMENTS REDUCED ALSO.

Having finished the reassessment of
real estate and personal property with
in the city Of st. Paul and county of
Ramsey. County Assessor Seng yester-
day, made report of the same to the
board of county commissioners.
On value Of land within the city linn
Its there has been made a reduction Of
SIS, 900. something over "a per cent
less than the valuation made in 1894.
Value of improvements has been re-
duced $4,500,000 estimating at 81, 500, 900
the buildings erected since 1894 This
is reduction Of trifle over 16 per
cent.
Total tax list of st. Paul, real and
personal, for 1896, shows a reduction
of $31, 6,544 from the assessment of
1894.
Reduction in county, outside Of ST.
Paul, 1882, lat.
Total reduction for entire county
$SS, OlS. 6s1-nearly 26 per cent Of valu-
alton of 1894
Assessor Seng's complete report fol-
lows:
The assessment Of real estate
Tor taxation, under the laws Of
the state. are theoretically made
once every two years, but, prac-
t1cally, are growth, modified each
two years by making such changes
as are possible or appear to be de-
manded by changed conditions. While
under this method, the ordinary build
ing up Of city can be provided for
and the assessments be made with
comparative equality, 1t was imprac-
ticable, with the limited resources Of
this office, to accurately follow the
great changes Of value of real estate
in st. Paul during the last few years
The United States census report for
1880 shows the population Of the City
OF st. Paul to have been Al ,473 and in
1890 to have been 133, 156, an increase
of over 200 per cent, all of which had
probably gathered In the city before
the fall of 1887, when the boom result
Ing from this phenomenally rapid
growth eliminated, with prices very
much higher than at any time during
the previous history of the city. Fol-
lowing this the gradual loss of conf
dence throughout the country caused
very rapid and erratic depreciation in
values, each year growing worse, until
finally, when comparing the assess
ment made in the spring of 1894 with
the actual values Of property in 1898,
1t was evident that great modifica-
tons were absolutely necessary to con-
form to- the facts, the total valuation
of the city, as assessed in 1894 being
much greater than the actual COM
mercial value of the property, and
when compared with the assessment
of the other parts of the state, espe-
cially outside the larger cities, the
valuation of st. Paul was abnormally
high, resulting in forcing upon our cit
liens a much larger burden of the
states expenses than was properly
their share.
f1o 49, L.,
ing confronted with the necessity of
making an assessment of this county
for the year 1896, and realizing that the
question Of value is largely a matter Of
opinion, I took the liberty, during the
months of January and February OF
this year to address letters to many Of
our prominent citizens asking for their
advice and opinion on this subject.
Several plans were presented for do
ing the work, the most complete being
one proposed by w. A. Somers, that
was estimated to cost about $4,000
more than the regular appropriation.
This plan suggested the careful study
Of small district in the center ofs the
city including the most valuable pro-
perty, and the fixing of frontage values
for lots 100 feet in depth in the center
of each block. Having determined these
values, then to work by comparison
with this central district to all parts of
the city. the value of lots Of different
sizes, or those having more advantage
GUS positions, as corner lots, to be de-
determined by certain well defined
rules which would give the same re-
suits under similar conditions.
The city was divided into 263 assess
ment districts, and the reports show
the examination and measurement of
250S5 buildings. There were delivered
assistant assessors blanks to the num-
Der Of 11,807, and there were mailed
from the office to owners or agents
1858 blanks. These owners forms
have been very generally filled and re-
turned, and will prove valuable and
convenient record In the office. When
1t Is considered that the office now
contains an accurate description in de-
tail of every building in the city, so
arranged and filed as to be easily re-
ferred to, the value Of the work will
be apparent. This record can be made
continuous and permanent without
adding to the regular expense of the
annual assessment by simply making
a record of the new structures each
year and noting any building removed
or destroyed
18th day of May. In the meantime
the reports of the field assistants had
been arranged and compared with the
old assessments to detect any mis-
take Of location, or omission, and on
April 10 the work of making calcula-
lions to arrive at the value Of the
buildings was started, C. J.. Buell. be-
ing put in charge of this work here
with incorporate copy of his report.
describing the system used in making
the calculations.
The descriptions of buildings brought In by
the assistant assessors furnished the basis of
our work. To one not familiar with the work
of designing and erecting buildings the struc-
lures of the City Of st. Paul would seem to
present an infinite variety that would bafie
all attempts of systematic classification, but
far more simple, especially when the follow
ing important facts are considered:
First-We had very full and careful de-
scription of each building.
Second-We were not expected to do more
than approximate the value of each build
ing.
Our first work was to devise a system for
the valuing of residences. This would cover
perhaps nine-tenths of the buildings of the
city. BY taking large number of buildings
OF which we knew the COST we prepared,
altering some cutting and trying" the fol-
lowing table:
Per soft.
One-story no foundation or cellar.
finished outside and in. ........... 6Oc
One and one-half story, same. soc
Mo-StoFy, same ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 90c
From the above rates we deducted 10 cents
per square foot where there was no CITY
water or other provision for water and also
10 cents per foot if the buildings were more
than ten years of age; also further reductions
for greater age. for second story unfinished
etc.
Per SO. it.
One-story. stone or brick foundation
cellar under all or nearly all. ..... GOO