Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-31
CUT IN ASSESSMENTS
Important Action by Board
Of Equalization.
RESULT OF REVIEW
CENTER OF CITY ONLY SECTION
NOT AFFECTED.
Heavy Increases in County Distric'
Materially Observation-Disclosures
by the Assessors.


District who, with the assessor, constitute
| the board of equalization and review, has
| made horizontal cut in the new assess
| ment placed upon real property in the Dis
| trict with the exception of a tract of bust
| ness property in the heart Of the down
| town section. Since the opening of the
| new assessment books the board of equali-
| cation and review has been fairly deluged
| with appeals. Daily sessions of the board
| have been held and property owners from
practically every corner of the District
have been heard in support of their for
| NAL contentious that the new valuations
were entirely too high.
| The board has been met with sworn
| statements, which it could not doubt, as to
| the value of various properties. 1t was the
| province of the board of equalization and
| review to equalize and adjust matters-to
| hear he appeals of the people They have
heard these appeals from every section and
| the result has been an equalization of the
| new values which the board believes will
| in the end be satisfactory to the taxpayers
| and to Congress as well-a happy medium
toward which the authorities are striving.
| Each square in the city proper and each
| county plat has been gone over by the
| board during the past week, and appeal
| values have been fixed on the various par
| GELS OF property in place of the first valua-
| lions placed upon them in response to the
| edct from Congress that two-thirds valu-
| alton should be assessed.
Decreases Made.
| Material decreases have been made from
| the first figures and property owners who
| Will now examine the books will find a new
| state of things hardly so startling as were
| the figures of the first raise in values In
| some instances the old assessments have
| been restored. These instances are In sec
| lions of the city where there has been no
| increase in property values, but rather q
| decrease. The 800 and 400 per cent in
! creases in some of the county valuations
| have also been materially cut down and the
| board is still considering appeals and affi-
| davits which may bring a still further re-
| duction.
The only property in the District that
| has not been affected by the horizontal cut
| Is that included within the area bounded on
| the south by the north side of Pennsylvania
| avenue, on the east by 7th street. on the
| west by 18th street and on the north by the
| south side of G street. This it is claimed,
| Is the central section of the city, and u.s.
therefore, to be regarded as the most valu-
| able property in the national capital. 1t Is
| claimed that 1t was against this territory
that Congress complained with regard to
| the low assessments. Property such as
| that of the Washington Loan and Trust
| Company at 9th and F streets. heretofore
| assessed at from 81 to SO square foot has
| been raised to SO a foot
| The Woodward & Lothrop corner at 18th
and streets has been raised to SIG
| square foot There have been large n
! creases throughout this tract of business
| squares. and it is said the board will ad-
| here pretty closely to it's original figures
| II there is any reduction whatsoever.
Erroneous Impression.
| Mr.. E. w. w. Griffin, chairman of the
| board of assistant assessors, who is also a
| member of the board of equalization and
! review, of which Mr.. H. H. Darneille Is
| chairman, in speaking of the cut in the new
| assessments, said today that the impress
sion had gone abroad that the board had
| returned in all Instances to the old vdlua-
| tions.
| These impressions were carried away by
people who have appeared on appeal and
who have been assured that reductions
| would be forthcoming. Mr.. Griffin said
| that the board had endeavored to adjust
] matters in each instance and believed that
| the appeal values" which have now been
| marked against District properties will be
| acceptable and satisfactory. He said the
! old assessment has been returned to only
| in cases where it was certain to the board
| there had been no increase in values dur
| ing late years, and where an increased as
! sessment would not only work hardship
| on the owners, but would be entirely UNI
| warranted.
| Property that was raised to So % a square
| foot in the new assessment has now been
| ISuuCeu W S-.iD lou, where II was 1Or-
mally $3.50 a foot. Property assessed under
| the new system at S1.10 a foot has been
reduced to 81 a foot, and on. In the
| county subdivisions, such as Columbia
| Heights and Washington Heights, reduc-
| tons have also been made. but there still
remains a material increase over the old
valuations. 1t is held that this is to all
] intents and purposes city property and
| should be regarded such.
| THE increase in revenues from increased
| assessments" said Mr.. Griffin this after
| noon, will come from the business tract
l have outlined 1t is in this section that
| values have been raised and will be pretty
| closely adhered to. The reductions we have
| deemed it just to make in the other sec
| tions of the city and District from the fig
| ures first fixed by the assistant assessors
| will bring the new assessments down so
near to the old figures that the revenue
| thus derived will not amount to much, and
| the residence property owners will not be
| over-burdened with taxes"
Believed to Be Satisfactory.
| Chairman Darneille was most positive in
his feeling of assurance that the people Will
| be satisfied with the new valuations now
| fixed. He has been interchangeable In his eff
forts to bring about a proper adjustment of
the new assessment. He has given close at
| tention to the matter and his influence has
| been felt in what the officials declare will
be entirely satisfactory outcome of the
| whole affair.
Today is the last day for filing appeals
| with the board of equalization and review.
! The several mail deliveries during the
| morning and afternoon brought In count
less appeal blanks and letters protesting
against the figures of the board of assistant
| assessors. These will all be considered by
| the board. The reception of appeals was
| ended today, however, by requirements of
| law. There is much work yet to be ac-
| complished by the board.
The county property, both residential and
| agricultural, has yet to receive further
| consideration, and the city blocks are also
| to be finally acted upon.
Individual property owners who have not
filed personal appeals may rest assured
| that their section of the city or the county
| as the case may be has been represented
| before the board. And as stated material
| cuts have been made everywhere except in
| the central business section.
|