The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-11
Investigators Of Municipal Re-
search Bureau Declare One.
Third of Local Tax on De.
linquent List.
REMEDY FOR PROBLEM
WOULD REDUCE RATES
Principal Offenders Are Those
Assessed for Personal Tax.
eS-Well-to-do x.dodQer1
Are Roasted.

In a report submitted today by q
special investigating committee of the
local Bureau of Municipal Research,
the astounding statement Is made that
one-third of the local taxpayers do nos
pay their assessments. this class OF
delinquents being almost exclusively
ones assessed for personal taxes. In
other words. the committee points out.
only about two Of every five assessed
for personal property. meet the assess.
ment.
However. 1t is pointed out. this does
not mean that one-third Of the tax Is
not collected. Delinquent taxpayers.
it is shown. only represent about two
percent Of the total tax. 1t is shown
OF the total assessment OF $3SS.O
about $4,000 is delinquent. II this de.
linQuent tax could be collected the to.
tai tax levy could be reduced from
$40 to $2.64 and the city tax rate
could be reduced two and a half per.
some in the report and well-to-do tax
dodgers are censured In the report,
which is as follows:
Report Of committss.
Bureau of Municipal Research.
Your committee appOinted to ex.
anime into the matter Of delinquent
taxes respectfully submits the follow.
ing report:
The tax payers are licted on the
county books in two classes. Those
paying on real estate are put in one
class and those paying only on per-
sonal property in another class. AS
the tax on personal property becomes
a lien on real estate and can easily bo
collected. If delinquent. by the sale OF
the real estate. all personal tax due
from real estate owners is, therefore.
collected without difficulty. The .:c-
linquents listed among the real estate
owners may, therefore. be disregarded
in this report. The other class. nOw.
ever. those assessed on personal prop.
erty only. is matter of serious con.
sideration. A brief study Of this class
will reveal some startling conditions.
10 Almost incredible.
1t is almost incredible that there are
more than three thousand persons in
Richmond, who are assessed for taxes
who do not pay any tax at all, nor
make any response to notification of
delinquency by the county treasurer.
Speaking in round numbers, there arc
about 5000 persons assessed for tax.
alton in Richmond. 1000 OF these own
real estate and, therefore. have no
chance to escape paying personal
taxes. There are 5000 persons assess
ed for personal tax only and more
than three thousand OF these pay no
tax at all. That means that one-thirti
of the persons assessed for taxation
pay no tax. and only two persons out
of five assessed for personal property
only. pay tax. These delinquents are.
as a general rule. the smaller tax pay
ers. averaging about $3.50 each: and
this statement does not, therefore.
mean that only one-third Of the taxes
assessed are collected as the taxes OF
all the delinquents represent q little
more than two percent Of the total.
The taxes assessed approximate $685.
900. and the delinquent tax amounts
to $1,000 and of this 5000 the city
receives for municipal purposes S3.111
and the state. county and township
the balance.
Could Reduce Levy.
II all this tax were collected Il
would be possible to reduce the total
90 q Ah~
city rate could be reduced 21z cents.
In anaIyzing these figures a little fur.
ther we find that the poll tax. which
is assessed against male citizens of
Richmond between the ages Of 81 and
so. amounts to $500 each. Out Of this
the municipal corporation gets 50
cents and the balance goes to the state
and county. As the average tax Of all
delinquents is about $3.50 and . large
percent of the unpaid tax Is poll tax 1t
is evident that the state and county
would be the greatest gamers. II all
this tax were collected
Your committee made an examin-
alton of the tax duplicates for the
years 1906 and 1907 and the following
facts were ascertained: In the year
1906 there were 4.S3S assessments on
personal property in the city Of Rich
mond and of these 1,S7S were paid and
$3.50 unpaid. The total amount Of de-
linQuent taxes was 1921.
In 1907. the assessments on person
al property only. numbered 5,322 Of
which number 2.125 paid taxes and
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