The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-17
TAXES.

Death and taxes are Isure. Why the
two should be associated together is
not known unless it that death is
the only means of dipping taxation
Despite the efforts of ur county COM
missioners to economic, taxes viii be
high and Cumbersome in this county
this fall
Yesterday the state board. of equali-
zation passed an order 10 the effect that
the assessed valuation Of property in
this county be raised l per cent
In explanation of Ithis action the
members of the stateI board say that
the valuation of all KIDS of property.
except live stock, in al the counties of
the state, outside of Weber and Salt
Lake, is higher this ear than it was
last
IN regard to the a seSsed value of
live stock, it is explaited that 4 great
many sheep and cattl4 died last winter
and the sales were largtr this year than
last, and the number 81 both sheep and
cattle has been redud ed considerable.
in consequence of viii th the total as
sessed value of live ste Fix has fallen off
several hundred thous| md dollars.
The reduction in tn assessed value
Of property in Salt La county is said
to be 81, SOC OOO from ID st years valua-
ton. In Weber counF the reduction
is 1900 600, and in aIl(the other coun
ties the reduction is $4,000
Outside of Salt Like and Weber
counties, as has been s. id, the assessed
value OF property is Generally higher
than it was last year. rhe decrease in
the sum total of valuation is ac-
! counted for in the decrease in live
stock.
a part of the decrea| e in the assess
ment in Salt Lake and Weber counties
is accounted for by the transfer of
mortgages so as to Evoia taxation
About 81, 600 has be4n transferred in
Salt Lake county andE500, 900 in Weber
county. The rest Of be decrease is in
the value of real est tie and personal
property. The county commissioners in
this county viii resist the order of the
board of equalization and the matter
will have to be settlld by the courts.
As to the merits ofIthe case, enough
facts have not been bought out as yet
to determine just VII at is the proper
! course TO pursue. 1t tould seem, how
ever. that if the state board has the
| power to raise the taluation in this
county, that a great injustice will be
done the taxpayer, Who will have TO
pay the increased ratd which the coun-
| ty board has made, inJthe rate per cent
in this county, and 1t the same time
have his assessed valV Rtion increased.
If the tax rate on the present yalua-
ton in this county is Sufficient 10 raise
the required revenue, then an increase
in valuation, without reduction in the
rate. viii raise more honey than is re-
quired. The members If the state board
say that they can not change the state
tax levy, that being liked by the legis-
lature; therefore. if 1e taxable proper
ty of the state fall5 below a certain
sum. there VIII be al deficiency in the
state revenues. In bis instance they
claim the shortage his year viii be
$4,000, which they pr bpose to overcome
by raising the valuaI ion in Salt Lake
county.
The members of TIL county board say
that taking the sand data used by the
state board they ca not see wherein
the justice Of the cash lies.
The people of this bounty are willing
to pay their just proportion of main
tanning the state gov eminent, but they
are by no means al xious to pay any
mere. The facts 1ill doubtless be
brought out in the h iaring today, wher
the right or wrong II the state board!
: action VIII be demoI Etrated-
It would seem thatIthere is something
| wrong with our tax jystam. If the con
tention of the state hoard is right, thel
there should be nd rate of taxation
fixed for county, municipal or schoo
purposes until property values hav'
been equahzed throughout the entir,