The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-13
AFFAIRS OFTHE DISTRICT
Consolidation of Assessors Office
and Special Assessment Division.
The Report of q Special Committee
ON Work of the Depar tne nt-SilB<
Flag to Fire Company No. S-COm-
plnint About Open Cars and
Earcs-Inciriiity of Conductors.

The District Commissioners yesterday
issued an order that the Special Assess
ment Division. ard SO much of the Water
Registrars Office as pertains to the Iec-
ords of water main taxes. be consolidated
with the office of the Assessor of the Dis
trict of Columbia. and that said Special
Assessment Division and SO much of the
force OF the Water Registrars Office as
is engaged in keeping the records of water
main taxes so transferred are hereby
made subject to the supervision and d.
rection of the Assessor.
This action of the Commissioners vas
taken up the recommendation of spe-
cial committee appointed for the purpose
of inspecting the operations of the Spe-
ciai Assessment Division and its methods,
and to report what, if any. changes should
be made to facilitate the public work, and
to report what. If any. addition to or re-
duction from the force employed might
be in the public interest. The committee
was composed of Alexander Mckenzie the
Deputy Auditor; F. O. Beckett. Superin-
tendent OF Property, and c. C. Rogers,
the Disbursing Officer.
/; may be said in passing that the mo-
tive Of the proposed investigation of the
Special Assessment Division was made by
the Commissioners with view to its pos
bic consolidation with the Assessors De-
partment SO as to avoid endless confusion
and complaint resulting from the item
of tax bills against given piece of prop-
erty eInanat!ng from tive sources. II has
frequently happened that persons nave
called at the Assessors Office for a state
ment of taxes against their property, have
paid the bill presented and later have
found out that their property has been
sold for taxes which were levied by the
Special Assessment Division and had not
been paid. This has often brought tax
payers to the office OF the Commissioners
in no amiable frame of mind. and Il he
came evident two or three years ago that
something would have to be cone to estab-
lish system and harmony between the
ASS ssors Office and the Special Assess
ment Division, so that when people called
70. their tax bills they would receive q
statement of all taxes against their prop
erty.
The special committee appointed TO in
ment Division made their report some
days ago and upon the recommendations
therein contained the Commissioners bas-
ed their action of yesterday. The report
said that the committee found that the
records of the Special Assessment Division
were kept in neat, systematic, and bust
ness-like manner, practically up-to- date
at all times and ii was their opinion that
any information pertaining TO these rec
ords could be promptly given at any time
The committee thus describe the general
workings of the office:
Orders of the Commissioners author
izing any work or Improvement, which
when completed, becomes a charge or tax
upon any real estate, are sent to the Spe-
cial Assessment Division and entered up
on numerical index record by annota-
tions opposite the number of the square
TO be affected by such work. This record
is kept that prompt information may be
given to any citizen desiring to know il
any improvements have been authorized
or ordered which may affect or become a
charge on his property. We are informed
that these orders are not always received
At or sent to this office promptly. If this
Information is to be of any value to the
citizen desiring II then II is important
that any orders of the Commissioners OF
the character under consideration should
be speedily sent to the Office having charge
OF the record.
THE next step in the procedure OF
business of this Office is taken when the
notice is received from the Engineer S
Department of the completion Of the work,
said notice giving the character of the
work TIE limits of the improvement, and
the cost TO be assessed on AUDITING proper
ty computation is made. the rate per lin
ear foot is ascertained and the amount
of assessment on each piece or parcel OF
land determined. This assessment is then
forwarded to the Commissioners for their
approval and when received back APPROX
ed is entered upon the records OF the
Office. Bills in duplicate are then pre-
pared, one of which is presented with the
notice required to be served upon the
property owner by law and the other is
attached 10 the return service and be-
comes part of the files of the Office. These
notices to property owners are served by
an employe of the Office in person on the
owners or their agents and an affidavit
made by the employe AT the time. place.
and person on whom they are served in
each case About 80 per cent of these no.
tees are served within thirty days after
the assessment is entered on record. The
average number of bills prepared for each
piece of property affected by special as
sessment is three
The committee reviews the workings of
the office at some length and their report
is favorable TO the management: in the
past and at the present time. They re-