Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-11-19
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1903.
UNJUST TO TIE CITY.

"The towns OF Dodgeville and Brig
ham still persist In making what be-
lieYe to be n low assessment, much
lower than that made In other towns
in the county.
The city OF Mineral Point makes
very conservative assessment, In my
opinion, TO say the least-an assess
ment which appears to me to be based
on land values Of four or five years
ago, instead OF those Of the last three
years. ! have endeav ored 30 be fair
with those towns and that city, and
have raised their values TO correspond,
in my judgment. with the general
opinion OF land values throughout the
county as expressed In land sales, the
opinion OF the real estate dealers, and
certainly in the opinion Of the other
assessors OF the county, as well as my
own judgment.
"It would be manirestly unjust TO
distribute the state and county taxes
on such basis as the assessors OF
those towns and that city present, un-
less we adopted their very con5erva-
tive view Of land values and lowered
all the rest Of the county TO CORE
spond."
The above quotation IL from the an
nual report Of II. l.. Joiner supervi-
sor Of assessments, TO the board OF
supervisors OF Iowa county, nj their
November session, 1903. The Demo
crat has heretofore given Mr.. Joiner
credit for endeavoring TO perform the
perplexing duties Of his office in fair
and painstaklng manner. In this In
stance wo know, however, he has done
the city Of Mineral Point u great In
Justice. His broad and sweeping
statements are not warranted by the
facts In the case. Investigation will
show that the real property of the city
Of Mineral Point Is assessed NJ very
nearly It's full cash value, whilo In
some instances the assessment Is
higher than the selling price Of the
property, OF late years actual snlos
have cnt n great figure In the assess
ment Of real estate.
Let us try Mr.. Joiners mpoach.
mcnt OF the assessment Of the city Of
Mineral Point by the test of actual
sales Since the assessment of 1903
was made there has been sold by the
Mineral Point Real Estate Agency, NJ
The Democrat Office, city property TO
tho value OF $40, 900. This Is the actual
sum for which the property was sold,
and tn, sales were not forced nor
strictly cash ones. All OF this prop.
erty had boon In our hands for sale
for two years or more, and we used
every effort TO secure fair prices,
Now, on looking up the record, we
find thal this property which sold for
only n difference Of 1860 between the
sale price and the amount of the assess
mont, not very large margin on over
fifteen thousand dollars worth Of
property. Moreover, one Of the pieces
of property sold for $4,000 while IL
was assessed Mt NJ 900. These figures
tend TO show that Mr.. joiner's state
ment that "the city OF Mineral Point
made very conservative assessment,
TO say tho least, has no foundation
in fact. Doubtless the members of the
county board of supervisors have no
desire to do the city of Mineral Point,
or amy other city, town or village In
the county, an injustice; but scarcely
less than nm injustice can be expected
when misleading statements are pre-
sonted to them by public officer as
facts in the matter of assessment and
equalization.
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