The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-12
|,eepAlSEMENT BOARD.
T., i. City Board Is Doing 10 the Way
: sifqnsIllins Values.
!, p,r,l KICKS FROM TAXPAYERS
.r THOMAS Says Not ms
Bst A' .,v-i,oard Vow working
feo,,a,uitousiy-Their Metho"'

,omnlsints have come to The
Auue from taxpayers who claim
fa' Y :. property valuation has been
asl ~ IND all reason and justice.
'''' ss. II reporter yesterday sought Alder Alder
i vs.mss. the chairman of the board
ran ~ y, h,r, the ground for these COM
,lllnts. uon.. vor know it.s
.vsnable right Of an American citi-
- kick whenever you tou'n MS
..s.t Did you ever hear OF a man. or
either for that matter tfor they
srally worse kickers than the
=, who did not raise row whenever
,,,es his taxes, but | think the facts
mo out when state that there
y, y Mem less kicking this year thah ever
before ,,vos =, much as
~ endeayorng 10 equalize values.
evidence OF this fact in about lou
IT,. of property we have reduced me
NJ. while We have raised values ON
.5out 1900 pieces
~, canrse there will be an increase in
/. General aggregate, but | can't say ho%
-ssh without raising any values II
n work Of equali2lag, he new improve
~. ,hat have been made in the past
sslya months would naturally show an
.sr,ass Of the tax roll by the addition Of
len values.
,The sixty days that the law allows Is
N sufficient time for this INK. We
E,ye already gone beyond the sixty days
ian and our work from now on is graf
stou,, as the law allows compensation
n ony the sixty days. During this
irs II is impossible to scale values al
,ysr the city and then listen TO the argl-
ueut, Of taxpayers as TO why Their prop
try should no. be raised. This is the most
irdesirable part of our Notwithstanding to
cnplaints, as some people are very I'M
kagnable. Whenever d taxpayer, how
Eyer, is inclined to be reasonable and
blows good cause for complaint, we have
IlEays me; him half way on any reason
bic proposition he would submit.
Very few people have any conception
The difficulty OF equalizing values ald
csllag down or up whole sections OF ter-
(iiory that may be enhanced OF depre-
Hated in value by certain surround. ng
Cniitlons
For Instance, We have made slight in
fsises 90 all residence property AUDITING
meets that have been paved during the
asl twelve months, but the increased
alue We have placed upon this property
50 small that it would not IN a hundred
Ieais time pay the ,otal cost Of the pave
bent
Without desiring to be understood as
Passing any reflection upon the former
(oaid We found the rolls in very un-
satisfactory condition, with number OF
1858 discrepancies. Will simply cite
ne Of many, similar Instances We found
one case bunch OF small fractional
81 ASSESSED at $3.50. An examination
slylnced us that this property would not
ssicnably exceed in value $500, and we
taacea the assessment to that figure.
we have made no special notation of
aua improvements during the year,
slee can not tell you what the actual
ruease mas been from this source, nor
y Tell you what will be the total in
ENh last ~
isee' said Alderman Thomas in con-
Dl tha' Alderman sonnen is being
W. me credit for originating the idea
ave tne charter SO changed as to APP
~ values every three years instead
Sety year, as at present. This Is an
u l0ooy OF mine and our board will sub
NJ Recommendation of this kind at the
saausion Of our work"
W.! VIII you do with improvements
y. nay Intervene" '''>
"aste they are important improve
-s ana the value of any great conse
s...s my idea would be to let the asses
I. my nv. engineer fix the valuation pending
asN session Of the board, but every
s,n " even ionr years is often enough
Naallze and raise values "