The Paducah evening sun., 1910-04-05
ASSESSMENT OF
CITY PROPERTY
Is POOR FARCE
Eli G. Boone Says II is In.
equitable and Inaccu.
rate.
Commission With Block Map
is Necessary.
u.<
TALKS TO GENERAL COUNCIL.

"Paducah's system of assessing tax
able property is a farce and Nc
Cracken county's system is even
worse"
This statement was made candidly
before the board OF councilmen last
night by ELI G. Boone, a member of
the city board of supervisors, who un
folded an idea he has carefully stud
led out in making the future city as
sessment with the block map. which
he says will be completed IN time for
the next assessment.
There Is no system whatever at
tached to the present method. Prop
erty Is assessed at all kinds OF values
and a great deal of the property in
the city remains unassessed, | believe
and the supervisors are unable to list
Il with the present system" he said
Mr.. Boone said property could
never be equltably assessed in the old
manner. and with his Ideas carried
out he believed there would be a
complete and equitable assessment
that will eventually increase the as
sessed property valuation 81 500. 900
at the least.
"A few years ago." he said, 'the
supervisors found a plot OF ground
containing 23 houses. which had not
been assessed for years. II is impos-
sible to correct errors without a sys-
tematic plan. Many people do not
record deeds and per cent of them
withhold them at least three years.
In this manner, when property
changes hands, IL is an impossibility
TO take the correct assessment. The
city will have spent approximately
s2.50O for her block map. which is
nearing completion, and 1t will save
thousands of dollars"
One reason why the assessment is
not good, is that the supervisors do
not have the time necessary to de-
vote to it. Mr.. Boone's idea is to
create a commission, composed of
two good real estate experts and one
good contractor In this way the
property and buildings may be judged
approximately. He suggests that the
commission begin at some given
point In the city, say at First street
and Broadway and get the value of
the ground per foot and let the con-
tractor value the building. When
this is done Il can be placed on the
block map. which Is TO be carried
along by the commission After ev-
cry piece of property in the city has
been listed the assessor can take the
sheets. fill them out according TO the
block map, and make the correct as
sessment. The names should be
taken alphabetically and entered so
on the assessment book. The asses
sor must therefore be required to
keep up with the building operations
over the city and the buildings de
stroyed by FIRE Once done, the as
sessment, taken this way, can be kept
up by the assessor. Mr.. Boone said
while the commission was at work
the assessor would have his hands
full from September Is to the first
Monday in January, finding and list
ing the personal property.
81 have been on the board OF super
visors about five years" said Mr..
Boone. "and know what | am talking
about. The commission would cost
the city about $4,000 and save many
times that amount" Mr. Boone was
formerly county court clerk and
knows about the county's method,
which he terms "a most complete
farce" It is even worse than the
city's system.
The assessed value of Paduoah is
about s11,OOO,OOo.
The small property owner carries
the burden of taxes on his shoulders,
according to Mr.. Boone, and not un-
til a commission has charge of the
block map can the assessment be
made equitable. City Engineer Wash
lngton and his assistants are com
p.eting the maps, showing every piece
of property in the city. In this way
no property will be overlooked.
No action was taken by the board
last night relative to the appoint
Iment of a commission.