The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-11-16
WITH LOCAL PROPERTY DOUBLED IN
VALUE TAXES WILL BE HIGH
ASSOCIATION 10 MEET SOON
A plan Of Action For Next Year viii be
Discussed and Agreed Upon II
Possible.

The sax rate on property in the city
Of Crystal Falls will be the same as it
was last year, viz. .02l. IL was coin
monty expected that the rate this year
would be- much lower because OF the
doubling i'm valuation OF the local resi-
dtnce property but the fact that the
ulineral valuation was so heavily re-
duced accounts for the rate staying the
same IN it was last year. The rates IN
all surrounding assessing districts are
much lowered. In Crystal Falls town
snip the rate ls .0lG73 and in Mastodon
township the rate is .0i07 which makes
taxes in those two townships very
reasonable.
There is much complaint ON the
Crystal Falls rate and the complaints
will be increased many fold when the
taxpayers come to pay their taxes. It
is then that complaints are heard.
Men who laugh az you when you ASK
them to turn in and help ADJUST mat
ters so that all will bear an equal bur
den will talk blue streak when they
pay their taxes and these men invari-
ably blame the treasurer who has no
more 10 do with their taxes being high
than ne has with the war in the Bal
kans.
rThe tax levy this year is T6S, OoO
which is several thousand dollars more
than last year The greater bulk OF
this increase IL in the school tax.
There il but a slight increase in city
taxes and in the general taxes such as
state. county and county road. there is
the increase due 20 the increased yain-
alton and the failure OF the city TO get
the usual advantage IN equalization
this yeai which has always been ac-
corded il because OF the recognition by
aISper assessing districts that the city
been taxed nearer its value than
other places.
In conversation with prominent
taxpayer Thursday the subject OF iu-
ture taxes were discussed and from
general conversation about the city
there seems to be disposition ON the
part of the people to pay more atten-
ton TO these tax matters IN the future.
The local tax payers association VIII
meet ia the near future, as soon as the
tax amounts are known, and the mat
ter will be gone into thoroughly. The
association took the position at the tax
commission hearing that its purpose
was not 10 ask for increases ia mining
property but to have local real estate
values which are wholly dependent up
on the mineral values OF the city nxed
in proportion. They argued that II de-
velopments In the Bristol mine showed
that its value as an asset to the com
pany had decreased over 5000, OoO that
IL had decreased that much 70 the com
muniry az an asset and that local pro
perty should be lowered from the
values set. II the Youngstown mine Is
worth only $3.50. 900 to the Oliver Iron
Mining company who find that they
cannot work Il because of the grade OF
the ore. the value OF Gepenuent rear
estate is likewise decreased. And 70
ON through the list OF properties.
Results show that the theory was
disr{garded and values bxed upon
Crystal Falls realty just as they arr
fixed upon buildings in Lansing or anJ
other lower peninsula city where rea
estate always has comparatively
stable value
But one thing remains foi the as
sociation to do and tnat Is 70 insist up
ON the proportion and II city propert'
cannot be lowered from the values iixe'
the m mineral property will have 10 com
mp. The only way TO affect this
through tine local boaro of review
which consists of the mayor, assessor
city attorney and the supervisors iron
each ward.