Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-12
FIGHT The BOULEVARD LEVY
Property Owners Protest Against Proposed
Plan Of Assessment,
THINK THE LUXURY IS COMING TOO HIGH
Board of Equalization nj Its Meeting
Next Tuesday Will Have mn In
terestinE Time Disposing
of Complaints.

The Southwest boulevard seems likely to
assume the middle OF the stage situation
in the proceedings Of the Board Of Equaliza-
tion. which commences its sittings next
Tuesday At this meeting the city engineer
will report plan OF assessment OF the
taxes that are to be levied TO raise the
money needed to acquire the land for the
boulevard This levy is now being pub
lished and has brought many property
owner to the city hall to protest against
the tax assessed upon his property. These
and many others will probably make objec-
tions before the board.
The complaint arises from the far-reach-
ing extent Of the assessment The scaling
back process has been used In drawing UP
the assessment and consequently the levy
takes in pretty nearly the entire southern
part Of the city. The plan contemplates
taxing all Of the property within 5000 feet.
very nearly three-fifths Of a mile, Of the
boulevard all along its length, from the
point where it leaves Hanscom park at
Thirty second avenue. until it enters River
view park at Ninth and Spring streets.
On account OF the somewhat crooked
course of the boulevard, the extremes of the
levy vary. In general, however every
piece of property to the south city limits
will be taxed. On the west the levy will
extend almost to the Belt Line running
northward, of course. only to the point
where the boulevard commences. To the
north all property between the boulevard
and Dorcas and in some cases Lincoln ave-
nue. is taxed.
Few Complaints Made.
On large portion Of this property the tax
will be light. The main portion must Se
borne by the property that lies $50 feet
Immediately adjoining the boulevard. The
first fifty feet of these strips is taxed al the
rate OF ! cent for each square foot the
second fifty feet is taxed at the rate Of 6
mills per square foot, and the third fifty
feet at the rate OF mills a square foot.
AS a rule there is but very little complaint
on this assessment, because the property
will reap considerable benefit from the
boulevard.
The objections come from property owners
who live back of these adjoining strips.
The original plan of assessment on this
property was as follows: Three mills pei
square foot on the 200 feet Immediately
back of the first $50 feet; each 200 feet
thereafter O.2 mill less than the preceding
one until the levy scales TO nothing. When
this assessment plan was completed, how
ever, it was found that about 40 per cent
more than the $4,000 needed was raised
and consequently 40 per cent was knocked
off the tax levied upon all property lying
Immediately behind the first $50 feet.
The tax on the extremes of the levy, at
Twelfth and Dorcas streets, for example
is very light, but the property owners are
objecting to it. They insist that they Sc
cure no benefit to their property whatever
from the boulevard because they are halt
a mile away and therefore they do not think
that they ought to be taxed at all. They
assert that if they are benefited at all it is
only because they are given a driveway anC
as the rest of the city is given the same
advantage they argue that if they are taxed
all the rest of the city should also be
taxed.
This sort of a complaint seems to be made
by good many of the property owners
who are not within easy distance of the
boulevard and they threaten TO fight the as
sessment when it is brought before the
Board of Equalization.