The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-07-15
MEND|NG THE METHODS
OF Making Assessments in Marion.
some Pertinent Suggestions from
One of Our SoIons

Editor Star / have in my possession
the tax laws of nearly every state in
the Union. have been putting in
quite a lot of time since the primaries
comparing the tax laws of other states
with ours. | am preparing several let
ters to the county papers, making
suggestions on our tax laws, and
would be pleased to have an express
sion from the taxpayers in the county
or state in regard 10 the suggestions
make.
Many Of the states say a tax assessor
cannot make a just and fair assess
ment of property till after he sees it
ana knows the true value of same. |
think so. too. Don't you?
But how can our tax assessor see all
the property in the 1900 square miles
in this county, in the short time he has
10 list the property in? Mr. Aver, or
no other tax assessor can do this and
10 remedy same. / suggest that part
Of section 2l. chapter 5596 be changed
20 read something like this:
The county commissioners of the
several counties in the state shall be
fore the first day of each year divide
heir respective counties into five tax
alton districts, to correspond with the
the county assessor shall employ for
each district an assistant assessor of
axes. the assistant assessor to view
see The assessed properties in person.
etc"
My reasons for making these Sug-,
@estons are as follows: To have a
like values pay like taxes. To see
To make the tax dodger pay his share.
To help the county commissioners to
revise tax list, and to furnish a
Hist of all persons in the county to the
proper authorities who pay no taxes.
so they can be made to do road duty,
ietc.
In section 6 of the same chapter /
think the words and personal proper
Ity should be added, making the section
read something like this: "All the
lands and personal property shall be
taxed in the county, city or town
wherever it is"
There has been in Marion county
personal property of great value that
could not he assessed in the county
because the owners thereof lived in
other counties, and refused to have
the property assessed in the county.
The above suggestion if made into
law would correct this wrong.
Section 9 of the same chapter re-
lates to the assessment of intangible
property, such as notes. mortgages.
interests. etc. and but little of this
wealth is taxed in this state This
property amounts to many millions in
this state and the law should be
strengthened and enforced, or taken off
the tax books.
Quite a number of states list this
lass of property different from other
properties giving it a special taxpay-
ing privilege, by listing it at much
lower values than other real estate or
personal property, and their reports
show that this class of property under
special taXpaying privileges pays
greater tax than when listed other
wise.
Do you think it is wise to grant one
kind of wealth special taXpaying priv
ileges over another kind of wealth? /
do not. Should this wealth be taxed
and how are you going to get this
wealth to pay taxes? BY using the
same method they do in North Caro-
lima. North Carolina personal prop
erty is about forty per cent of the
whole: Florda's is about fifteen per
cent Of the whole. North Carolina
says to the owners of this kind of
property. you must either pay taxes
on it, or you can't use the courts to
collect your notes, mortgages, etc,
and in self-defense this property is
listed If the next Legislature will in
sert certain words in this section, this
property will surely be paying taxes
Shall il he done?
There is but one way to raise more
revenue and lower taxes at the same
time-make all wealth pay its just and
f,1 Of