The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-09-24
TAXPAYERS
WILL HAVE TO
BEAR BURDEN

The raising by 80 per cent Of the val
uation of this citys assessment by ths
State Board of Equalization and the con-
sequent reduction in the citys tax rate by
the Board of Supervisors to s4-4 cents per
800 will result in the collection of adj
ditional taxes, aggregating some $4,000
from owners of personal property I'M
secured by real estate.
The sum of 100000 was collected on
such property during March, April, May
and June by the Assessor. who was COM
PEELED to figure the taxes on the old rate
of $1.60s, fixed in 1902. These collections
represented in a large number of in
stances taxes on the household furniture
of small holders. These will be compelled
to pay an additional sum to the city Of
approximately 1872 per cent in excess or
what they have already paid.
When Assessor Dodge was asked what
the effect would be in figuring the new
rate fixed by the Supervisors on the in
creased valuation as returned by the
Board of Equalization. that official said
1t would result in additional taxes being
collected from personal property holders
who have already paid their taxes under
the old rate.
without desiring to criticize the action
of city officials in reducing the citys tax
rate to S4.4 cents in order to figure the
rate on one valuation as increased by
the State Board of Equalization, said
Assessor Dodge yesterday, lit appears to
me that the very thing which il was de-
sired to avoid namely the collection of
more taxes than contemplated by the
municipal budget. will be fOisted on the
small property holders who have already
paid under the old rate.
ITO illustrate. we will suppose that a
business man has been assessed for S10,-
600 on which he has paid under the old
rate of S1.60S the sum of $3.50 so in taxes
to the city. Under the raise Of the Board
of Equalization, the Auditor will in
crease his assessment to $4,000. At the
new rate of 81 4O5 (S4.4 cents for the city
and SCI cents for State purpOsesl. he
will be charged with 1882 65 on the assess
ment roll. Since he has paid $3.50 so, there
will be due to the city under the new
rate the sum of S21 S.. This represents
approximately an increase of 121a per
cent, which the personal property holder
will be called upon to pay the city.
LAS the collections Of this kind amounted
to some 100000, it is plain that the city
will collect $4,000 more of such taxes.
This will necessitate the making out of
extra bills by the Tax Collector and the
sending of notifications to the property
owners, all of which will add to the ex-
pense of the collections.
The amount of increase exacted from
small property holders will be in a man
ner offset by the fact that the banks and
other holders of money and solvent cred
its and mortgages will have TO pay some
$4,000 less. owing to the reduction In the
city tax rate to S4.4 cents. The assess
ment of $50, OOO, 900 in the properties named
was not increased by the State Board of
Equalization according to the Political
Code The reduced rate really should not
apply to the property described. but the
old rate of s1.076 should be applied to val
uations not raised by the Board of Equal
ization.
Assessor Dodge is of the opinion that
the difficulty could have been avoided by
figuring the State rate on the increased
valuation and the city's rate of SLOTS on
the valuation returned by him and
upon which the city's rate was based.