The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-29
COUNCIL COMMITTED
1T is BOUND TO EXEMPT NEW
PROPERTY FROM TAXATION.
so MAYOR MYERS CONSIDERS
SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING EXISTED
WITH PROPERTY OWNERS.

Mayor Thinks an Amendment should
Be Made to the Bill for the Extern
sion of the Limits at the Next
Meeting of the Legislature-Be-
Iieves Council, in the Meantime,
VIII Not Force the Payment of the
Taxes-MayOr Gives the story OF
the observation-disclosures RESPONSE
biIity Up to the City Attorney and
the Representatives.
1.-THE City Council" said Mayor
Myers last night, stands committed
to exempt the property taken in by
the recent extension of the city limits
from taxation for three years. There
was an agreement reached between the
city and the property owners, and it
should be carried out by Council.
II believe that when the Legislature
convenes next fall a change will be
made in the bill passed by the last
Legislature for the extension of the
limits. This change will consist of the
introduction of a clause allowing ex-
emption for three years for all the new
property taken in. In the meantime,
believe Council will not force a pay
ment of the taxes upon the property.
when a conference was held by
property owners interested, represen-
tatives from Chatham county and the
members of Council, it was understood
and agreed that there should be
three year tax exemption clause. 1t
was understood that the city attorney
would draw a bill embracing such a
clause. 1t is, therefore, clearly i'm
posed upon Council to take what ac-
ton it may for the relief of the prop
erty owners who thought that they
would not be subjected to taxation
by the extension of the limits until
after three years. The question was,
not as to whether there should be a
period OF exemption, but as to whether
that period should be for three or five
years. Three years were decided on.
"At a subsequent conference the city
attorney submitted the bill that he had
drawn, but it was not read in it's en-
tirety. l did not know that it did not
embrace a clause fixing a tax exemp-
ton period of three years, and l have
Aldermen who did know 1t. Only that
portion of the bill was read to Council
that had reference to the lines of the
extension, and verification of that sec
ton was had through reference to the
Committee on the Extension ans the
city engineer.
This bill was forwarded to Atlanta,
where it was seen by the representa-
tives. They took cognizance of the OBJ
- .e-,sv.
the inclusion of their lands, and a
communication was sent, advising a
conference between Council and prop
erty owners interested, in the hope that
an agreement might be reached. Such
an agreement was reached, and an
amendment was sent on to Atlanta,
which was made a part of the bill
Then the representatives did not OBJ
serve that the exemption period was
not embodied in the bill, nor had they
done so before. If they could find that
there was too much property included
in the delineation at first agreed on, il
seems to me that they might have dis
covered this omission of an exemption
period. The bill was before them. They
were familiar with the understanding
that existed at the first conference, and
their attention should have been ar
rested by their failure to discover an
exemption clause. l did not know that
exemption was not provided until after
the adoption of the tax ordinance"
The Mayor has been impressed by
protests from owners of property in the
new section that has been incorporated
He believes that they have the right to
object to paying taxes, in view of the
understanding that exists. The agree
ment was not carried out, he said, and
blame should be placed upon those re-
sponsible. He gave the above inter-
view as the facts in the case.
In the act that extended the limits
of Savannah from Anderson street
southwark to Forty second street the
Mayor has ascertained there was a tax
exemption period of ten years fixed for
the property taken in. AS such a clause
was embodied in the bill then, the May
or says that he does not see why a
clause for three years exemption might
not have been included in the bill
passed by the last Legislature. 1t will
be his effort to have such an amend
ment made to the bill when the Legis-
latllre cOnVaDpS again