Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-07-31
LOWER LAKES.

Inc WOIK OF tue DUdFu OF gQudllHa-
ton in connection with the county as
SCISSORS, is being watched by the tax
payers with considerable interest.
Values have been increased and in
some instances they are considered
arbitrary. Property in the city has
been considerably advanced. In the
county, every former who has an or
chard on his place, whether it Is in
bearing or not, has fHhnd that his val
nation has been increased and in some
instances doubled. The valuable lime
stone land, which is reported to have
at from a hundred to three and four
hundred dollars an acre, is nearly I'M
iformly assessed at fifty dollars an
acre. None Of the farms with or
ehards are assessed at less than forty
dollars and from that on up toward
the two hundred dollar mark. The
fruit growers consequently believe
themselves Disseminated against, and
today appeared before the board Of
equalization.
1t is estimated by the assessors that
the board of equalization the entire
assessment of the county will go to
twenty million dollars about one third
--of which will be credited to the city.
There Is an intimation that this will
be pushed up another ten per cent.
before they are through. This will
add about one third TO the former val
ration of the property in the county.
Heretofore he levy has been thirty
cents on the hundred dollars for coun-
ty purposes and an additional eight
to fifteen cents for DAD purposes. The
law allowed an assessment OF thirty
five cents. An act of the last legisla-
ture limits the ounty to thirty cent
levy which includes both the tax for
county and road purposes This will
mean that the county can lay a levy
OF only thirty cents instead OF the
thirty eight to forty-ive cents laid last
year. For the property which Is as
sessed at its actual value this will
mean q saving in taxes. Where the
land has been assessed beyond its
worth it will mean an equal tax with
last year, while the property owner
whose assessment is not up to the
real value will get off comparatively
light. This shows that II We have
true and equal valuation. as Is con-
femplated by the law, we will have
e. -. =,
aess taxes to pay than We had under
the old law.
II was the opinion until a day or
two ago that the county could levy
fhirty-five cents for county pur-
poses and an additional levy for road
purposes. Now that has been found
TO be incorrect and the amount raised
from taxes will be about one third less
than was expected.
The increase If valuation of corpor-
atoms, including railroad in the coun-
ty this year is about three hundred
thousand dollars more than last year,
which is a considerable sum in itself.
The county will pay into the state
treasury FIVE per cent. or about ten
thousand dollars in state taxes and
there will be paid back into the coun'
ty for school purposes from the gen
eral fund little more than eleven
thousand dollars, so that the county
will have to expend at home thou
sand or more dollars than is collected
off the county.
If there is an equalization of the
valuations as is intended by the law
and for which this board of equaliza
tion is appointed, there should be nc
complaint about the amount of taxes
that will have to be paid. II however
the board fails of its duty and does
not equalize the assessment, then
there are so-ne who will suffer from
the new law
1t is the duty OF its board to see tC
it that no man is assessed at highel
value than his property warrants, and
on the other hand no mans property
should e assessed for less than it II
actually worth.