Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-03
Tax Assessed For Melbourne
Line Not to Be Paid Before
July l
DEPENDS ON THE BUILDING
County Treasurer Cooper Says No Ef-
fort Will Be Made to Collect Tax
Until Proposed Interurban FuIfiIs tho
Conditions Under Which the Tax
Was Voted.

The tax voted by the city to aid the
proposed interurban railroad to Mel
bourne will not be collected by the
county treasurer until the road Is built
and in operation. Part of this tax is
now due, with the other taxes for this
year. but no effort is to be made to
collect 1t during at least the current
six month"; -ler that 1t may be coll
lected IT may not, depending alto
gether on whether or not the road Is
built and operated.
After securing legal advice, and aft
err canvassing the situation according
to the conditions under which the spe-
cial assessment was made, Mr.. Cooper
believes the tax is not due or payable
until the road is built and in opera
ton.
Tax Assessed on tho Books.
Simultaneous with the beginning OF
the new year, when all taxes became
due, numerous inquiries have come to
the treasurer's Office regarding this
special tax Of 30 mills for the interur-
ban. This tax was voted to aid the In
terurban. 1t was to be paid in two
installments, the first, of is mills
payable this year, and the second. Of
a similar amount, payable next year.
The tax, after being voted, was levied
by the board Of supervisors last fall.
and the amount assessed for this year
stands charged against all city prop
erty on the books Of the treasurer.
But altho this amount is included
in the total Of this years taxes
against each parcel Of real estate. It
is not to be paid, and when property
owners pay their taxes it will be de-
Quoted, and left as unpaid on the
books.
Legal Tanoie May Follow.
Despite the fact that this tax is not
going to be collected, or rather because
Of that fact, there is a prospect OF a
legal ENHANCEMENT following. Mr..
Cooper first considered having some
one get out an Injunction against him
restraining him from collecting the
tax, but the method he has adopted
seemed simpler, and has therefore been
put in force.
But in this connection other ques-
tons have arisen, one Of penalties on
this special assessment, and another
with reference to whether or not the
taxes standing against the properties
unpaid will be considered delin-
quent and affect the property titles.
Obviously, it would seem. IL the tax
is not due or collectible until the rail-
road has fulfilled its contract with the
voters by building the lines and having
it in operation by July /, then no
penalties would be incurred on this tax
until that time.
If the road is not built, and the tax
is not collected, either before or after
next July, until some means is taken
to remove this assessment from the
tax books, it will stand against each
property. In that case some means
will have to be provided to wipe 1t
from the treasurer,s books.
At any rate Treasurer Cooper be-
lieves he has taken safe ground In
making the rule that no effort will
be made to collect the taxes during
at least the first six months Of this
year. The assessing Of the tax. and
the figuring involved to assess it
against each property, also the de-
Quoting of this item from the other
taxes when payment is made, is caus-
ing tremendous amount of work in
the treasurer's office.