Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1912-12-12

ments ON land not to exceed the amount
of 5000 in assessed valuation to any
one family be exempt from taxation
when the assessed valuation Of such i'm
provements does not exceed $1,000. This
means an exemption of $500 in cash
value when the cash value does not ex-
coed $500. 1t is impossible to esti-
mate the total value Of the property
escaping taxation under this exemption
We find, however, that many towns
and school districts will be unable to
raise sufficient revenue to meet local
requirements and at the same time
come within the tax levy limits fixed
by the laws of the state. Let us take
an example: Last year house and lot
was valued at 5000, being 800 for the
lot and $500 for the improvements
thereon. The tax levy was $3.50 on
each 800 of assessed valuation. The
tax on this property was accordingly
SO. With the same cash valuation this
year the lot is taxed on an assessed val
uation of $40, or $40 per cent of the
cash value. The improvements come
under the exemption provided for in
the aforementioned section and are not
taxed at all. The total assessed valua-
ton of the the property for taxation
this year is accordingly $40. If the
rate this year be SO on each 500 Of as
sessed valuation the tax is $1.20, diff
ference of $3.50 as compared with last
year. 1t takes just SO much money to
meet our public expenditures and
there will either be deficiency or 9th
er property must bear an increased bur-
den of taxation. The owner of this
property has the benefits of our state
county and local government, including
schools. Why should he not bear his
proportion of the expense?
Section 1644a provides that property
exempted under the preceding section
shall not be listed and assessed, with
the exception Of the property exempted
under Subdivision D hereinbefore re-
ferred to County boards of equalization
can not equalize the assessment of i'm
provements on land for the reason that
only a part of this cless Of property ap-
pears on the rolls. The state board of
equalization can not equalize this class
of property for the reason that the
county auditors abstracts do not show
the total amounts of such property in
the different counties Of the state. To
change the assessment of this property
would affect only such property as ap-
pears on the rolls. We believe that the
revenue laws should provide for listing
all property on the assessment roll, and
that all exemptions should be reported
to the state board of equalization in an
abstract of the assessments which show
the amount and value of the taxable
property. The state should have rec
ord of all property within it's borders.
Under the present law, property com
ing within the provisions Of Subdivis-
fion d of Section 1914 is entitled to an
exemption of $4,000 in cash value. The
owner may be entitled to further ex-
emption of $1,000 in cash value under
Subdivision H of said section. He may
also be entitled to further exemption
of $500 in cash value under Subdivision
M of said section, making a total of
$4,000 in cash value, in addition to 9th
er exemptions which might be had un-
der the above mentioned section
Parma Herald.