The Greeley tribune., 1911-02-09
TAX PAYER GIVES FIGURES
ON RAISE OF TANES HERR

~ Inc iTIDuHe.
AS tax payer. it seems to me 1t
is time We should stop and consider
our present financial condition and
not permit this heavy expense In
both our city and county.
We have great many set ex
curbed to the very minimum in order
| that we use every effort to reduce
our taxes be'ow what we are to pay
for 1910 and we should bend every
enort to secure as near as possible
men to conduct these affairs on an
| economical basis. and not be forced
to reach for every cent they can get,
regardless of who or how many it
may cripple and then proceed to
spend and appropriate every dollar
so that none will be left at the end of
| their terms.
Our county assessor, as he claims.
went to the city council and advised
them that he would be compelled to
raise the assessed value on all prop
erty and asked them to reduce their
levy so that their revenue would be
, in line with the 1909 tax but no,
they allowed the matter to rest and
thereby secured from that source
s12.057.24 more than the year be-
fore.
The assessor also claims that he
advised the directors OF school dis
trict No. OF these conditions and
why do they go blindly on and reap
in $15.77041 more than the year
before, and what is still worse, am
advised that the assessor asked the
county commissioners to reduce their
levy for the court house fund below
the 2 mills which was assessed for
1909 in order that they might only
raise $32.9lS.32. the amount set
aside in that year. but no-they
wanted a new court house to satisfy
the county officials and I might say
the Commercial club boosters. so
they raised 1t to four mills, thereby
raising 1t to $75.574.40, SO we are
to pay on our new court house pros
pect for 1910 $42,656.2s more than
in 1909.
These three amounts alone make
$7O.4S3.93 more thar the tax Of
1909 and 1t would seem that at least
this court house fund should have
been cut down to the year before.
Our commissioners advise that
this fund is being raised In such a
small way that we will not feel It,,
but taken all together It makes our
taxes a burden and some cut must
be made some where.
might also add for the public's
information that our assessed valua-
tion In the county is $1s.S93.600.0 90
and OF this amount the city valuation
is s2.735.370.00.
And. as a starter. I wouli like ta
ask the commissioners n 1t is true
as is reported. that our local cement
contractors had no opportunity to
bid on the work Of building the La
Sale bridge and some OF these con-
tractors claim that there are several
thousand dollars margin on this con-
tract at the price paid the outside
contractors?
Also. We are hearing now q great
deal about the necessity Of having
straight republican ticket elected for
our next city government. as 1t is
stated that we want to hold some one
responsible for all these transactions
but / would like to know what that
amounts to. The present county
commissioners are all republicans
and the republican party. 1 suppose.
is responsible for all their actions
but that don't help reduce the taxes
which Is necessary in order to keep
our present population from becom-
ing discouraged. to say nothing
about the new arrivals that will be
frightened away by the present tax
condition. as he will see at glance
that he cannot get interest on his
investment.
So let us stop in our mad rush and
take care of what we have and not be
too ambitious and overreach our
selves and let us combine our efforts
and insist on reduction along some
lines, at least. and first OF all cut our
court house down to the minimum
II It is found necessary to build.
But for my part Is seems we could
for the present make few changes
with our present building and get
along until We get back to earth
which seems necessary when one
considers the pace We have been 60
ing and the continual raise in our
taxes from $40S.O55.97 in 1906. to
$521.27O.45 In 1907. to $564.75l.so
in 1908 and $7s7.662.55 in 1909. 10
the decided advance to $92o.hS2.lS
In 1910. But in this comparison we
must take into consideration tha'
this year we are paving Sl71.72'.2V
on bonded irrigation districts wh'eh
we we're not paying in 1905. or ahou'
so per cent more taxes paid than
four wears ago.