Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-01-25
Local Option In Taxation.

Local Option In Taxation
Gov. Bushnell in his inaugural, took
what some may consider advanced
ground on the subject of taxation. He
advocated in effect the submission of a
constitutional amendment providing
for local option in the matter of taxa
tion.
Such proposition, when understood,
can but meet with the favorable con-
side~ation of all the people, no matter
what their particular ideas as to taxa
tion itself may be.
Under such a rule the State would
assess upon an equitable basis the
amount that it is to receive from each
county for the support of the State
Government. Instead of having what
is known as State Equalization Board
meeting once in 10 years and always
failing to ''equalize," each county
would know what was expected of it.,
and each would know exactly upon
what basis that sum is arrived at.
After the State has made its levy upon
each county, it says to the counties,
you may raise your taxes, including
the portion due the State, in any way
that you may elect"
There would be, under such an order
of things, greater reforms in the matter
of taxation in the 10 years next after
it was put into operation than there
ever has been since the foundation of
the State. Enterprising communities,
tired of the system or lack of system
that now pervades the State, would
branch out on new lines. As soon as
something better was found, other
counties would follow suit and perhaps
improve it. The result would be that
in the course of a. very few years Ohio
would have the very best ideas on taxa
tion in operation within it's borders.
Those counties that were the most just
and the most equitable in their systems
would soon Begin to forge ahead of
the Others. People would begin to
learn something practical about taxa
tion, and the result would be beneficial
to the people and to the whole State.
What does Cuyahoga County care
about the way of raising taxes in Ham
ilton County, as long as it is sure that
Hamilton County is paying it's just
share for the needs of the State Gov
ernment in which the two counties
have a common interest? If Cuyahoga
ENt1, 10 4
of the present system and adopt some
thing new, why ought Hamilton Coun-
ty to object, as long as Cuyahoga Coun-
ty is paying into the State Treasury it's
just proportion of the States expenses?
And so it is with any two counties
in the State. If there was local option
in taxation, those who think they have
better plan of raising public moneys
would be able to get their notions be-
fore the people; for they now realize
that their efforts would be useless be-
cause Of being compelled to wade in
and convert a whole State, something
to be willing to do with the avidity Of
the fathers.
Local option in taxation would solve
more Of the problems of taxation than
any other scheme that has yet been
proposed, The cities could not then es-
cape their just proportion of public
burdens at the expense of the country
districts. Each county would know
exactly what it is paying to the State
in dollars, and would not be befuddled
by talks about rates. No county could
escape its just share of the burden
without its being known, and such an
inequality could not last very long.
The present General Assembly would
do we'll to follow the guide of Gen.
Bushnell in this particular cleveland
World.