The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-04-23
MORE TAXES
ON REAL ESTATE
QuadrenniaI Appraisement Bill Hits
Farm aud Other Realty Owners.
ARE CORPORATIONS BACK OF IT ?
Measure Now Before the House In
terests Farm and City Property
owners-Prompt Action Necessary
TO Meet tho Situation.

owners-Prompt Action Necessary
to Meet the Situation.
Columbus, O.-(Special. )--Senate
bill No. SOS passed the senate last
week. This bill provides for the
revaluation Of real estate next year,
and this increased valuation will be
subject to the tax rate for 1910; that
is to say, increased valuations on real
estate, farms, etc. will become sub
ject to taxation one year in advance
of the time under the regular decen-
nial appraisal
Every man who owns a farm or
other realty will find his taxes In
creased If the bill becomes a law.
Every owner OF city lot and house
will find his pocketbook touched hard
by officials having taxation power.
The outlook is not a pleasant one,
for land and buildings already bear
by far the largest per cent of the
taxes and the farms pay loe bulk of
this amount.
These are arguments that oppo-
nents of the bill have presented to
LEGISLATORS. They claim that senate
bill No. 55S, by Mr.. West, which on
its face reads innocently enough, will
give public officials power to levy in
creased taxes on one class OF prop
erty-real estate. Even where
wisely-flxed debt limit or the adverse
votes Of citizens have kept down the
debts Of counties and cities, the way
will now be clear for officials to raise
more money and to run the people
more deeply into debt. and the voters
will have no check on this proposed
increase.
Single Tax.
Though perhaps not intended as a
single-tax measure, 1t tends in that
direction. Single tax proposes to tax
real estate alone, while this aims to
throw most OF the burden for the
time being at least upon realty.
The Cuyahoea county delegation Is
working hard for the passage of the
bill. Their sponsor. Mayor Tom l..
Johnson, Is an ardent single-tax sup
porter. But more than this. Mayor
Johnsons administration has spent so
much money that it has run Cleve.
land up to the debt limit, and finds
itself unable to raise money for very
necessary improvements and some of
the ordinary expenses OF the city gov
ernment Several times the admins
tration has attempted to r,ise more
money by submitting proposed
bond Issue to the voters at an cleo
tion, but each time the proposed in
crease in debt has been voted down.
In spite OF this public sentiment,
under this bill the bonded indebted
ness of Cleveland or any other mu.
nicipality in the state might be In
creased so to 100 percent.
And this bill takes from the farmer
and small realty owner the right to
select and vote for the man who ap.
praises his property and puts II in the
hands Of board to appoint the ap.
praiser. .
This bill provides for appraisals OF
realty every four years, instead OF ten
years, as has been the custom In this
state. There is no great objection TO
the more frequent reappTaisal. but no
change should be made prior TO the
usual period Leases and contracts
have been made based on the decen.
nial appraisement OF 1900, and own
ers and lessees had the right to ex-
pect THAI conditions would not be
changed prior to the usual time. II
the appraisal is made at the usual
time for but four years, everybody
will so understand 1t and be governed
accordingly.
New Rule For Valuation.
Opponents of the bill demand that
there shall be no change prior TO the
usual period, and that 1t should not
pass unless other legislation accom-
pany it,, such as reducing the limits
Of taxation which may be levied by
municipal and county authorities. OBJ
lection is offered to the section which
provides that real estate shall be tax
ed at its true value in money, without
discount" without discount" are
new words In Ohio tax laws. BY Gus
tom II has become the rule 20 value
for taxation all property, both real and
personal, at 60 per cent Of Its trut
value. Some is valued even lower,
the tar valuation Of personal property
being especially low. For instance,
II farm or II a city lot 10 worth
$4,000 In the market, the assessors
have placed upon II a valuation not
TO exceed $500, which is 60 per cent.
Under the new law the valuation on
the tax books would have to be SO, 900,
and the officials would have power TO
keep the tax rate on the property as
high as in the past.
While the proposed law win en-
force a higher valuation on all real
estate, II will not cut down the rate
of taxation which public ofhcials are
empowered to fix. For instance, II
the rate OF taxation has been per
cent in some county or city, officials
| NAV still keen II at Der cent though