The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-20
THE TAX QUESTION.

The action Of the state board of
equalization in finally determining to
raise the assessed valuation of all
property in This county per cent, is
bound to work a hardship on a ma
Jerity Of the tax payers, if the order
of the state board is upheld by the
courts The members of the county
court are apparently able 10 justify
their action in reducing the valuation
OF about one-third Of the property in
the county 20 and 80 per. cent. Yet there
is good reason to believe that If this
reduction was proper. that consider
able other property in other parts of
this city, especially. should have been
reduced. That property valueg should
decline in greater proportion here in
Salt Lake City and county than in any
other part of the state, with the ex
ception of Ogden and Weber county.
is nothing surprising. In 1890 and 1891.
when the boom was on here, property
sold for considerable more money in
the majority of cases than il was ac-
tually worth. Lots were sold in some
OF the additions for 5000 and 5000. and
even higher, that were not actually
worth $25. These same lots were as
sessed at boom prices, with the full
knowledge and consent of the owners,
it is true, and the result was a wonder
ful increase in the valuation of prop
erty here. Money invested in property
OF this kind did not pay interest, and
the result was a decline. until today
much Of the property that was sold
in those years for good round sums
could scarcely be given away.
II increases the tax valuation of land
very fast to bay it for $25 per acre,
plat it off and sell 25-foot lots for s2aO
each.
II this 5 per cent increase in Valua-
ton holds good. then a great many
tax payers in this county will feel
themselves aggrieved and Justly so, be-
cause their property is now assessed
at a higher figure than they would
willingly sell it for today. and they
are now confronted with an opportu-
nifty to pay an increase. in taxes, on a
valuation which is already entirely too
high.
While the county board may have
been justified in the reduction made on
part of the property. it would seem
from the evidence produced before the
state board that if that action was
proper it should have been extended
to other parts of the city and county
as well. We recognize the force of
What the state board has to say regard
ing the state tax levy, and that it
will not do TO allow the state institu-
tions to close for want of sufficient
funds to keep them going. Yet that
does not help out the poor tax payers
in this city and county, upon whom
fully one-fourth of the burden Will fall.
If a mistake has been made it is not
the tax payers fault, and unless the
county board can prevent the raise or
readjuSt the present tax levy, the tax
payer will have no means of escape,
regardless of the fact that his COM
plant is just. If the property valuation
in this county is in accordance with
fair cash valuation, or on the whole
it averages that way, and the rest OF
Liz SCAIC - PAOPeiAS @SSSSSSA VA hllS
same basis, even though outside of this
county valuations may be higher than
last year, then the burden of the in
crease should fall upon the entire state.
The whole case rests upon the valua-
ton of property in this county. The
state board has after due investiga-
ton, decided that it is too low, and ne
take it that the courts will be called
upon to decide this one material point,
because if property is valued too low
in this county, then the state board
should increase it. If, on the other
hand, the valuation is equitable and
just, then it should remain as it is and
the board should increase the valuation
Of the entire state to cover the de-
ficiency. The state board has figured
up the total tax valuation of the state
and has found that tax levy gpr state
purposes of AZ mills. which is the limit
viii not produce the required amount
of revenue for this year. 1t is clearly
the duty of the state board TO see that
enough revenue is provided. The mem
bers have decided that the trouble is
with Salt Lake county; that our yalua-
ton is too low, and that is the point
which VIII have to be judicially deter
mined,