The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-03-31
TAXATION IN VERMONT,
Laws Enacted by Last Legislature In
terpreted for Benefit Of Assessors.


The school for the listers OF Windham
county held in Festival hall Thursday and
Friday of last week, under the direction OF
j. h. Cushman OF Burlington. commission.
er OF taxes, brought TO the attention OF all
those who attended. whether they were
listers or not, that large amount OF pro.
gressivc legislation upon the subject was
passed hy the 1910 legislature, says The
local correspondent of the Springfield Re
publican. The calling of this meeting was
under the power given Mr.. Cushman by
the last legislature, and every lister pres.
ent seemed to take such intense interest In
the school that one OF the main defects IN
our taxation system ought to he reduced
10 a minimum Among some Of the new
laws enacted OF local interest is the one
couierring additional powers relating TO
general taxation upon the commissioner OF
state taxes and changing his title TO com
missioner Of taxes. This act gives the com.
missioner authority TO supervise the work
Of the listers ia various towns while IN pre-
yious years he had no authority TO en-
deayor to have our taxation system admin.
lstered In an efficient manner, as he could
merely suggest what ought 10 be done.
Ii is a wel.known fact that the principal
evil IN Vermont taxation il the lax man
uer IN which the various listers perform
their duties, and under these circumstances
1t would be difficult for any system oi taxa.
tion TO work successfully. OF course u VIII
take few yeaH of this campaign TO edu-
cate the people 10 the fact that tax laws
must be enforced faithfully by the listers
and that the town listers are shonldcring
a big responsibility ii they pass out ANY
favor TO their friends or indulge in any
colllsive evasions. The importance OF list
eIs being faithful to their obligation was
thoroughly impressed upon every one pres
an at the school, and without doubt these
Officials will be somewhat more loath to
routinue administering the laws IN tile
former careless way now that they are to
be supervised.
Another progressive law Is the one CIV
ing taxpayer, aggrieved BY a decision OF
the board OF civil authority, an opportunity
TO appeal in writing to the commissioner
If taxes. who has authority to appoint a
board OF appraisers for each county to de-
termine all these cases. Some listers who
attended the school, in discussing this law,
said that il would be impossible for APP
praisels who live in other towns to fairly
determine these eases, as they would not
be familiar with the valuations prevailing
throughout the town where the appeal
would be taken Commissioner Cushman
assured the listers that he thought this
slight defect in the scheme would not be
seriaus ii efficient boards were secured IN
the county and that disinterested parties
would as a rule, be free from local pre-
iudice So that in most cases much fairerr
valuation would result. He cited several
instances where great favors had been
maintained year after year by means OF
control OF the board of civil authority OF
a town. Many towns find that strife among
factions has more consideration. than the
actual merits OF the case at hand. The ag-
grieved taxpayer is helpless when over.
ruled by the board of civil authority, and
this law will tend to eliminate these un-
happy experiences.
The town agent under this law has
right to appeal TO the commissioner of
taxes from any action OF the listers in re,
spect to the grand list or any quadrenniall
appraisal or from any action of the. civil
authority, and here again the county board