Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-30
VALUABLE INFORMATION.
CITY TREASURER GREEN ANSWERS
INQUIRIES OF TAXPAYERS.
Succinct and Complete Statement of
the Workings of His Office for
the Guidance of Those Not
FamiIiar Herewith.

In response 10 numerous inquiries on the
part of taxpayers who are not familiar
with the details of tax collections, City
Treasurer Green mas prepared small
pamphlet giving in succinct form the en-
tire workings of the Office There are
great many things in this Ieaflet which
the oldest inhabitants" may not know.
The following are among the most i'm
,.ortant features OF the statement prepared
By the treasurer:
our city Indebtedness of $500, 900. with the
addition of $4,000 water works bonds.
reaches the constitutional limit of our debt
making caipacity. The s3I0O,0J0 of water
bonds are producing a revenue sufficient
u pay not only all operating expenses, ex-
tensions and improvements. but also to
pay the interest on the bonds and create
a sinking fund sufficient to retire the en-
tire issue of said water bonds at their
na turity.
bonds is no charge whatever against the
taxable wealth of the city, leaving as
above noted a real bonded debt CT only
Because. however, Of the issue of the
water works bonds, the city has been COM
PEELED 10 devise means, ny charter amend
Inents whereby the necessary funds might
be raised to provide absolutely necessary
public improvements, such as sewers, curb
ing, paving, and the requirement OF PARKS.
I'roperty owners and intending purchaS-
ers OF Kansas City real estate would DO
wei TO bear in mind that all public i'm
prcvements up TO the present nave peen
maid for by special assessments against
aLutting property, and not, as is the case
I'm many of our large cities, by the sale OF
irnprovement bonds making heavy city in
debIedness, and incidentally very heavy
general taxation. So that; relatively rear
estate ought to be much higher IN value,
on same rental basis, IMAM Ia cllieS Win
heavy bonded debts.
Instead of creating a bonded debt, how
ever. for still further contemplated I'M
for- n 1IIrphaER
the city has adopted, by charter amend
rneuts a system Of 1nstallment assess
ments. running four years, 1or sewers ana ll
paving. and from ten TO twenty years Tor
the purchase of parks. judgments rem
dered in the circuit court Tor opening
streets and establishing bouieyards are US
ually made payable in one amount, and
are generally the heaviest single assess
ments with which the taxpayer is con-
fronted. Consequently we have the most
complicated system of assessments and
taxation of any city in the United States,
perhaps the whole world
Various Park Districts.
The city is now divided into three park
districts viz: The North park district
the South park district and the West park
o'iii The North park district embraces all
ana east of Delaware from river TO Ninth
street and Main street from Ninth to t1t-
The south park district embraces all
property lying east of Main street and
south of Fifteenth street.
The West park district embraces all
property lying west of Delaware and Main
streets from Missouri river to southern
city limits. ..,
marks: The North terrace, 200 acresi the
Paseo, 14.S acres, and the Independence
The Tbe' south park district will have four
Z parks: Holmes square, 2.S acres; the Paseo,
& SIS acres; the Grove and the Parade, small
The West park district will have two
parks: West terrace, forty-fVe acres, and
Penn valley, 134 acres.
InstaIImeEt Assessments.
The assessments for the purchase of
these parks are distributed over all the
private property in the respective park
districts, and are payable on the INSTALL
ment plan. The installments of assess
ments are due May 10 each year, with IN
terest at the rate of per cent per annum
on deferred installments. If not paid dur
iEg the month of May installments bear
% per cent per annum, commencing June
J. and If not paid before September /, then
all unpaid installments become due, and
under the law must be turned over to the
sheriff of Jackson county, for execution
thereon. Any person who desires to pay
all installments in full can do so, without
interest, up TO date sixty days from the
date of confirmation of the verdict. But
inasmuch as many thousands of property
owners will not know of the date of con-
firmation, unless they watch the court pro-
ceedings, or carefully read the newspapers,
the sixty days must necessarily lapse with
out their knowledge of such confirmation.
A provision, however, is made whereby
any one can pay in full at any time before
delinquency, by paying the interest at Z
per cent, calculated TO date of payment,
and payment Of 3l2 per cent additional.
Every person making inquiry for general
% city taxes will be furnished also with the
2 amount of park assessments and interest
thereon, which may be due at the time
such inquiry is made. But notices of judg-
ments in the circuit court lin the matter
of condemning property for parks and
hpaylpN-n~flGA will hn In
owners. for the reason that no provision
is made by law for same, because of its
impracticability. owing to the short time
allowed from date of confirmation to date
of payment without interest, which time
Is nearly all consumed in entering up the
respective Verdicts. However, shall con-
tinue the practice of sending notices of all
special taxes to the addresses as given us
when the general city taxes were paid.
All city taxes are paid at the office OF
the city treasurer in the city hall. All
state and county taxes are paid at the Of
flee of the county collector in the court
house, on Missouri avenue and Oak streets
Assessed Values.
Having many inquiries as to the basis
for assessors valuations / would respect
fully state the assessed values rarely ex-
ceed 35 per cent of actual market values
and I'm many instances, where property
may be on the increase, does not exceed
20 Der cent of-u-<2l value. In order that
Dn,,I iI' sSeSsInenf 10 u Ssde nm sceonni
OF the purchase of parks. 1 submit eX-
ample on page Il, and beg to remind yoU
that assessments for the purchase of parks
are made on basis of land ValuationsSonly
and no improvements no matter how V;ilu.
able. bear any part of the cost of the pur.
chase of parks. Take the North Park dis,
trict with its three parks. the cost of which
makes n total charge against the land II
said district of about Ter cent on as
sesSed valuations for year 1896, being
fraction over % mills, or "a per cent or
assessed value, and little over y of 1 pei
cent on rail value.
General Cify TnxpS
General city tax on all real estate is du,
on the 10th day Of May each year. A re
bate OF per cent is allowed if paid in May
( per cent il paid in June. per cent If pait
in July; August, par. September l taXcl
become delinquent, and a penalty at tn,
rato Of . per cent month is charged. ]
not paid by November ], all real estate 4
sold for taxes. The tax certificates. pen
altieS and interest make 4 heavy increas
in the amount necessary to be paid for re
acmptiOn. Any person whose property ha
been sold for city taxes. can redeem SAM
within two years from date of sale. II no
redeemed within two years. the holder o
the tax certificate can demand deed from
the treasurer. thereby cutting out the righ
OF redemption.
Personal property tax, merchants licens
anu tax on bank stocks become due at tn
same time as the general land tax, an