Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-25
Apprn. of Real Estate.

The equalization of the burdens of taxa
ton is a difficult problem. /. 's not only
next to impossible to compel the artful
tax-dodger to bear his just proportion of
the expense of government and public i'm
provemcnts but the widely varying stan
dards of real estate appraisal employed by
assessors also serve to increase the ineqauli-
ties of taxation. Vermont affords excel
lent illustrations of the methods employ
ed to shift the burden of taxation to other
shoulders. In some towns each quadrcn-
of property assessed at fraction
of its real value, the STAN
dard being as low as onc-third of
the real market value in some instances,
while in other towns real estate Is APP
praised at It should be under the law.
The statute provides that real estate
shall be appraised by the assessors lat
its just value in money" This has been
interpreted to mean, the value of the pro-
perty, not under forced sale, but under
ordinary sale in market. If the assessors
OF all towns in the State complied with
this provision literally, one great source
of inequality in taxation in our State
would be removed, but assessors who are
not conscientious appraise real estate be-
low its "just value in money" in order
that their respective towns may be re-
lieved of a portion of the State tax. which
under an honest appraisal would fall to
their taxpayers. but which under the pre-
sent order of things is borne in part by
those towns whose real estate is apprais-
cd at its just value.
Burlington has contributed in the vic
Unity of $1,000 annually for some years to
other towns in the State owing to the
fact that the State school and road
taxes are imposed in accordance with the
size of our grand list and the proceeds dis
tributed pro rata and 1t has also borne
more than its just share of the State IS
burdens on account of the high rate OF
appraisal of real estate in this city as
compared with the methods pursued by
assessors in many other towns. Some OF
Burl!ngton's residents are inclined to COM
plain of the appraisal of their real estate
this year, but while not a few inequalities
will doubtless be renedied the standard as
n whole will remain high as compared with
many other towns.
The position of this city seems to be
somewhat similar to that in which the
city of Bridgeport. Conn, finds itself. The
Standard Of that place, in speaking of the
necessity for a revision of the law of thai
State regarding the appraisal of real es
tate, says:
bridgeport has followed the letter and
spirit of the law in putting its propert,
into the lists for taxation at the marke
value. As recompense for that unusua
respect for the law. 1t has had to pa,
the major portion of the county taxes
ever since, and there has not yet beer
any such equalization in the county gen
orally as puts Bridgeport on fair foot
ing with the other towns. What is need
ed is n revision OF the law, and n NOR,
explicit and compulsory statute demand
ing a uniform rating all over tho State
| E. A more explicit law would giv'
the board a better guide to go by, and tn
matter of regulating lists by one uniform
standard would be more easy. There l.
absolutely no reason or common sense II
the varying rates which prevail all owe
the State"
This also applies to Vermont to a Ger
tain degree, and there would seem to b.
an excellent opportunity for judicious re
form In the direction of equalzng tn
burdens of State expense. In some State
there are boards of equalization who's
duty it is to take into account rates o
appraisal and to remove inequalities, bu
mont, inequality in taxation viii! continue