Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-01
The Work Of the Assessors.

INC VOTN OF Su0 ASSeSS0TSs
This morning the city assessors star,
out upon their annual pilgrimage
among the taxpayers of Augusta. Let
no one envy them their task. for the
members Of the boa:d have very diff
cult and exacting duties to perform
and earn many times over the modest
stipend allowed them by the city. The
average citizen thoroughly conservative
in most other matters, is inclined to
have some what strenuous views upon
the subject Of taxation. He is disposed
at all times to question the good judg-
ment of the regular assessors as ex-
pressed in their valuations. secretly
cherishing the opinion, in his innermost
heart Of hearts, that he could start out
most any morning ana beat them to a
standstill. He knows very we'll that
certain neighbors OF his, whom he has
in his mind, would have to toe the
mark for once if he were given the Off
cial authority of an assessor and hal
the power to pass judgment upon them.
In 80 cases out of 100, however, the pos
session of such a responsibility has a
SOLDERING effect upon Il citizen, and it
also serves to very largely diminish his
belief in the infallib;lity of his own
judgment.
We quite frequently hear citizens ex-
press the opinion that wipinS
out of the old valuations, and
the making up of brand new
set. would result in greater
degree of justice to property owners
than exists under the present system.
1t is our very strong conviction that a
more fallacioIs view of the situation
could not possibly be entertained. Tn
der the most favorable circumstances
no man can hope to telrn all the prop
erty in the city of Augusta, with thor
Oughness and detail, within period of
less than three years service upon the
board of assessors. and the longer he
serves in that capacity and the more
familiar he gets with these details that
enter into his work. the more valu-
able he should become to the COM
munity he serves.
The work of the board of assessors
consists not merely in the determine
ton of new valuations, but also in the
equalization of existing valuations to
the end that no citizen shall be re-
q,Iircd to bear more than his fair share
of the public burdens. This work of
ycara of work and experience but also
for "a vast number of hearings to bring
out a large amount OF detailed informa =
ton with reference to city property
relative to what it might reasonably
he expected to sell for in the open
market, and what it should be valued
at on the assessors books. The as
sumption that the creation of a new
board composed of men unfamiliar with
the property of the city would result in
securing more equitable adjustment
of valuations than could BE- made by an
old, experienced board. having behind
1t the accumulated Judgment of a large
number of predecessors, who have III
turn passed upon many Of same prop
critics is absurd. The probabilities are
that a board without definite knowledge
of the city property which undertook to
pass judgment upon it would make
valuations that would not only be in
equitable in the extreme but which
amount of the property within the city
limits that is rightly subject to tax
alton. The Judgment of many men or
any matter is more to be depended
upon than the judgment of few. and
the assumption that the board Of asses
sors does nothing in the way of ad-
justing valuations each year is a gross
injustice to them. There is always a
disposition in some quarters to fee
that ones neighbor is not bearing his
full share Of the public burdens. II
1dCt. tnere Is frequently Il CneeTIul VIII
lingness 10 let the other fellow" pay
for city expenditures.
No class of men in the world run uI
against as much human nature in q
single day as boards of assessors
There are people in most every com
munity who never feel able to eat {
good square meal in the month of April
until they have had an opportunity t.
meet the assessors and unburden thei
souls to them. When an assessor
dreams at night, a crowd of kicker.
buzz about his sunderland like ;
swarm of angry mosquitoes. and it Il
always a relief to him to wake up il
the morning and find that he still lives
Not that these kickers are so numerous
for the average citizen is disposed t,
be considerable even to an assessor, bu
exceptions to this rule are apt to dis
play an abnormal amount Of activity