The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-03-21
WILL TRACK The Law
ASSESSOR KILLEBREW DEFINES
HIS POSITION AS TO FULL
RENDITIONS.
To the Property Owners of Ellis

To the Property Owners of Ellis
County:
In view of the criticisms that have
been passed upon me by some prop
erty owners in this county in respect
TO the assessment of taxes this year
! think it is due the people as well
as myself, that | state briefly what
/ am trying to do and why. | am in
no way responsible for the provis-
ions of our laws on taxation,
My duty as tax assessor of this
county is to assess the property
of the county for taxation as provid
ed and required by law. 1t is my
my individual opinion of the wis
dom or unwisdom of such provis-
ions. As | read the law, 1t is very
plain, and in assessing the property
for the present year | am proceed
ing according to the plain require
ments Of the statutes, as | under
stand them. The constitution OF this
state, adopted in 1873, requires that
taxation shall be equal and uniform
and that all property subject to tax
alton shall be taxed in proportion
to its value. The statutes in force at
the time the Thirtieth Legislature
convened, provided tand still pro-
vide that all property whether real
or personal, should be valued lat it's
true and full value in money" for
purposes of taxation See Art. 50SS,
r. S 1895 The above article also
says that in determining the true
and fun values of real and personal
property the assessor shall not adopt
a lower or different standard of
value. because the same is to serve
as a basis of taxation, nor shall he
adopt a criterion of value the price
for which such property would sell
at auction or forced sale, or in the
aggregate with all property in his
county, but he shall value each tract
or lot by itself, and at such sum and
price as he believes the same to be
worth in money. at the time such
assessment is made Art 1904, R.
s. defines true and full value as
follows: The term true and full
value wherever used shall be held
to mean the fair market value in
cash where the property to which
the term is applied shall be at the
time of assessment, being the price
which could be obtained therefor at
private sale, and not at forced or
auction sale" The purpose of the
law, as | understand it, is plain. 1t
property on the tax rolls at its cash
market value, or true and fun value.
The thirtieth Legislature amended
Art. 5123, X. S, so as to read as fol-
lows: THAT hereafter when any
person, firm or corporation renders
his, their or its property in this
state Tor taxation 10 any tax assessor
and makes oath to the kind, charac-
ter, quality and quantity of such
property; and the said officer ac-
cepting said rendition from such
person, firm or corporation of such
property is satisfied that it is cor
rectly and properly valued according
to the reasonable cash market value
of such property on the market at
the time of its rendition, he shall
list the same accordingly, but If the
assessor is satisfied that the value is
below the reasonable cash market
value of such property, he shall place
on said rendition opposite each piece
of property so rendered an amount
equal 10 the reasonable cash market
value of such property at the time
of its rendition, and if such property