Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1912-01-18

lessons our chances both to deyelop
our resources and increase our popu-
lation.
To urge, as has been repeatedly
done during the past year. that in in
crease in our assessment rolls means
an increase in the amount of taxes
that must be paid. is taking a posi-
ton absolutely untenable. 1t il an
axiom that certain amount is re-
CURED to maintain state. county and
municipal governments, and this
amount in no wise depends upon the
amount of the assessed property.
Whether the assessed value Of Idaho,
this coming year. is one hundred
millions or one thousand millions
makes not one dollar difference in the
amount required to maintain the
state government and state institu-
| tons. 1t would affect the tax rate
only. So with counties and munich
palities, they are under the same
general rule. True, 1t has been urged
by opponents of tax reform that the
Increase in assessed value in Idaho
during the past year has resulted in
increased taxes. It is true that in
some counties the amount of taxes
paid has been materially increased.
Careful inquiry shows, however, that
in no case has this been the result Of
| carrying out the cash value system
but is due to the board of county
commissioners of such counties and
the controlling boards of municipali-
ties taking advantage of the increased
valuation to raise greatly increased
amounts for certain purposes. To
demonstrate this call attention to
the amounts collected in 1909 and
1910 as compared with 1911 in var
ious counties, and also the tax rates
for each of such years as shown by
the records in the office of the state
Auditor.
This table is instructive in many
ways 1t seems in Ada County there
was raised for state and county pur-
poses in 1911 the large sum of $780,
754.10 as against $2S9.441.15 in 1909
and $343,071.9S in 1910. So we find
the aggregate in 1909 and 1919 is
| 32,543.13. being only 10 per cent
less than the amount raised for 1911.
| AS municipal taxes are not included,
but have also been greatly exceeded,
| is it to be wondered that the taxpayer
protests? Can a better argument be
made in favor of limitation upon
the taxing power of county and NUM-
cipal boards?
This record shows that in Bannock,
Bear Lake. Custer and Twin Falls
there has been raise of approx
mately As percent in 1911 over 1910
for state and county purposes In
Boise. Elmore and Lemhi the raise
has been between 80 per cent and 80
percent, while in Canyon it has been
las percent. in Kootenai Sc percent
the 1919 assessment an
rs per cent over that OF
1909: in Latah So per cent
and in Blaine 81 percent In Wash
ington county we find that although
fAdams county was this year taken
from it's former boundaries, still 80
percent more is raised this year from
the remaining territory than was rails
ed in the two countries in 1910, end
trifle more than in 1903. Oneida
| with raise of IS percent, Shoshone
of % percent and Owyhee of ~ per-
cent make a tolerably fair showing,
while Bonner, .Cassia and Idaho show
practically the same as heretofore
sand the raise is no greater than the
increase of state expenses would war
rant. Fremont county shows $780,
$50 raised this year as against $685.
$50 in 1909 and s20S,5S2 in 1910, and
proves what careful management will
do for the tax payers benefit. NeZ
Perez county, however, is only per-
cent less than in 1919, although its
territory was reduced and necessarily
its proper expenses also by the coun-
! ties of Clearwater and Lewis having
been created at your regular session.
Bingham County. although divided
also at your late regular session.
shows an entirely different condition.
The levy for 1911 being nearly 40
percent less than in either 1909 or
1910. while the new county of Bon
neville exceeds the 1911 amount col
lected in Bingham by "a percent.
The other new counties created last
session make a still more creditable
showing, and it is a source of graft
ffcation that in every county created
by you although taxes would natur-
ally be high the first year, the rate is
considerably less than in the average
of the older counties.
That there. is something radically
wrong in system that permits the
tax rate in the several counties for
state and county purposes to vary
from eight mills as 1t Is in Fremont
to twenty-one and one-half mills as
it is in Lemhi, can hardly be question
ed As the state tax is practically
three mills only, the fault cannot be
charged to the state officers. It rests
upon the county and municipal auth
critics alone although, I regret to say
some of them have tried to convey a
different impression. The need of