Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-09-25
the TAX COMMISSION
Iowa Investigating Commission Will
Make Recommendations.
LEVY ON THE FULL VALUATION.
A State Tax Commission and New
County Assessor Also Among
Recommendations.

me lOWd TAX CUHiIHlSSlOH, appoint
ed by the governor to form bill
designed to remedy tax evils in Iowa,
will be ready with its report about
October 1st, the date set for the con-
clusion of the commiss ions labor.
Radical changes will be embodied in
the bill which will be presented to
the governor. Some of the changes
to be recommended are:
A state tax commission to be ap-
independently of all other commits
sions.
! Adjustment of the present plan of
taxing on 20 per cent of the valua-
tion or property and a change back
to the plan of assessing and taxing
on full valuation.
A new Office in every county to be
known as the county assessor.
No reference to the present moneys
and credits law.
! Other reforms deemed necessary
from the investigation to be taken
! up by the proposed tax commission
and worked out in time.
| The tax commission has had heavy
task and has had repeated sessions.
| The members of the commission are
NJ. H. Cohen, of Des Moines, chair
man; Andrew G.. Ripley of Garner,
3. Z. Stonebraker of Rockwell City,
j. H. McConlogue of Mason City and
Charles N. Voss of Davenport. The
first three mentioned are republican
and the last two democrats.
In its labors the commission has
examined the laws of almost every
state in the Union. 1t has been dis
covered that thirty-one states have
permanent tax commissions, such as
will be recommended for Iowa. In
this state. the executive council, made
up of the governor and other state
officers, has constituted a board of
review for taxation This council
has annually reviewed the assess
ments made against railways, tele-
graph, telephone and other property,
anu CqudiiLCQ tHC toACo as DNtWCCu
the counties. The commission de-
signs that this work shall in the flu
ture be done entirely by the new tax
body and in addition it is. proposed
that the new commission be COM
posed of men who will make care
full study Of tax laws and conditions
and make recommendation of
changes in the law from time to
time to the legislature.
Under the present law taxes in
Iowa are paid on one-fourth the act
lial valuation. The commission pro-
poses to change this to conform to
the Kansas plan, where all property
is assessed at it's full valuation. In
Kansas the average state levy has
been as low as mills under this
plan. In Iowa at the present time
it is AZ mills on one-quarter of the
valuation. Such a high tax rate is
very bad advertisement. TO other
states. Often the fact that the levy
really is only fourth of the AZ mills
is not made plain. The commission
ers are of the opinion that the assess
ment at full valuation and the spread
ing of levy just as low as possible
is the best system.
Under the proposed plan of the
commission each county in Iowa
would have new county officer to
be known as the county assessor.
Now each township or assessorial
district is independent, with no guild
ing hand in the county. Every as
SCISSOR is interested in making an
assessment which will particularly
please his neighbors and friends and
incidentally aid in his being returned
to the Office. Under the proposed
new plan it is believed the county
assessor will be more nearly guided
by the best interests of the county
as whole instead of the particular
little community in which he might
live.
The commission believes when the
assessment is made under the county
supervisor, who would OF course have
assistants to help do the work, the
tax commission should make care
full study and equalize the tax as be-
twaen the counties
Such intricate problems as to how
the railroads, express companies, tel
ephone and telegraph lines should be
taxed will be left TO the future JuGg-
ment of the state tax commission.
After considerable discussion the tax
commission has decided to make
no recommendation regarding the
moneys and credits law.
-.
/ tv,.. rSan,,In NrnnsqI