The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-16
g Rate Has Been Reduced.


1T will be remembered that after the
state board of equalization last September
had made the large raise on the assess
iments of real property. it was commended
by, some that it. meant an increase in the
amount Of taxes, This is, Of course true
as to tax levies where the rate is fixed by
law. such as state and local one mill
school tax and, other state taxes except
state revenue. For this purpose, the legis-
'lature makes .af1eHy of a certain sum of
money and provides that the slate, shall
mot exceed certain yfgure.s But the ex
act rate is certified to county auditors by
the state aufitofai+~st,. =" ..,-
/. Nearly all local lakes are certified up
to the county auditor in specific amounts
and the county auditor spreads the tax
at such q rate as will produce those
amounts. Consequently, an increase in
the assessments must Of necessity bring a
reduction in the tax levy, and an exami-
nation Of the figures of the various coun-
ties makes this very. plain. The average
rate over the state for the year ), 1902
GA 800 is nearly three mills, less than
for 1901 CT 1-10.) 49, =. .,.--s :. 80,
Take Freeborn county, for example,
the average rate Of the county for 1901
was II mills and in the city of Albert Lea
"a $40 mills. The state board of equali-
zation of last fall increased real property:
in the county so per cent. The rate for
the county this year is Is $40 mills and
in Albert Lea 241s mills. And yet the
amount Of taxes levied for the county for
1902 is over $4,000 more than in 1901,
and in the city of Albert Lea nearly $4,000
more. 49, So. =,
I'm Redwood county, the rate for 1901
was q 1-5 mills, and in 1902 IA As mills.
Notwithstanding the fact that in 1902
there was an increase Of the amount of
taxes levied Of over $1,000.
1.-The state board of equalization made
no change in real estate in Ramsey coun-
| ty last year, and the valuation of the
| county is about the same as the year be-
fore. In 1901 it was $90,440.116 and in
! 1902 500. $40. The tax levied in 1901
! was $2.A43.3S and the average tax rate q
| mills. In 1902 the amount Of taxes levied
| was $2.900,945. the average rate In the
| county 81 mills.
county rate runs from Is $40 mills to
| ~ 6-10 mills
The Increases Located.
! The detailed figures show that the in
| creased assessment on acre property wa
| 1857 sos. Os5. against s267.34O.220 in 1901
| The valuation per acre increased from al
average of s7.25 to s1o.27, or 43 per cent
The increase on town and city lots an,
buildings was from 1925. s00,35O to $3.50.
! 746.6 SIS. Personal property assessments in
creased from s107 ,S40.044 to $114, los, 514. :
| The valuation of acre property in Hen
nepin county increased from s11,2sO,762
! or 1896 per acre. to $12, .305, or SAL
per acre. The value of city and town rea
estate increased from $7s.295,572 to $95,
! al ,643, while Ramsey only increased from
72.7Os,62S to s75.174,229., Personal prop
erty in Hennepin was increased iron
s23, 29e,41S to $24.8e1. 571. The total valu
alton increased from $112,S75.752 to s132,
1 545,519, but the average rate was reduce
from 33.1 mills to $50 mills and the take
levied increased from $3,736,41978 t
$3.S41. 634.77.. or only a little over 100000
i In 1901 Hennepin country's 'valuatio
was 1874 per cent of the entire states I
1902 the proportion was ia per cent. TIL
change was due to the great increase i
the valuation Of country real estate. Con
/ sidering that the taxes paid for state pur
| poses by the entire state are only abou
II per cent of the total this change in pro
portion makes very little difference eithe
to Hennepin or the rest Of the state. 1t
only a matter of $4,000 either way. Count
| ing in the value of railway property whic
pays every cent of it's taxes to the state
Hennepins share of the burden is muc
heavier than the tabulated figures sl1owr
! They only include the direct levy.
1 The greatest increase in valua ton oc
ours in ST. Louis county. where the $50,
i 100000 assessment on the mines raised TIL
/ valuation of acre property from 1900
942 to sf3. 439 407. iIs
The total assessed valuation by countie