Evening journal., 1913-04-02
WEDNESDAY. APR. 2. 1913
THAT INFLATED ASSESSMENT.

mai iNfLAiEU AooEcoMENl.
n ERTAIN members OF the Levy Court express re-
- sentiment because THE EVENING JOURNAL
INDUCED in criticism of their action in Initiating
the county assessment OF property in Wilmington by
many millions and permitting the ten rural hundreds
TO escape with only small increase What they say
by way OF explanation makes certain changes fig
but docs not alter the fact than injustice is
about to be practiced against Wilmington property
owners
The FIRST news item relative to the plan said that
the total increase would be approximately $4,000
goo and that of that amount only S25OOOO would be
borne by the ten rural hundreds the remaining SILL,
10000 being borne by the taxpayers Of the city OF
Wilmington. President Groves says the figures
contained in that item wrong and that
the provided for in the ten rural hundreds
likely will approximate S1.25O.0OO. Let
cept those figures Let assume that the tohal in
is to be $i2,O0O0OO and that Of that increase
Wilmington hundred is to bear S1O75O0OO and the
other hundreds only 81 100000. How much better
that make it for the members OF the Levy Court? It,
still shows that in effort to escape from real or
fancied financial difficulties It has decided to dig
into the pockets of the Wilmington taxpayers and to
permit the taxpayers in the ten rural districts to es-
cape with increases only about one-tenth as grea.
in the aggregate contemplated Tor the one
hundred Of Wilmington
1t is useless for members Of the Levy Court to
preach into the Of Wilmingtonians the doctrine
that town. village and farm properties in the rural
districts are assessed high they ought to be.
The people Of this city know that in hundreds Of
Instances they not and never have been as
sessed high would be just The plan
has been TO get much possible from the city OF
Wilmington and little as possible from the rural
hundreds, and in this instance the members of the
Levy Court responsible the increases in
the city Of Wilmington and the comparatively small
increases in the rural Districts simply have over
reached themselves
Wilmington already bears two-thrds Of the ex-
pense of maintaining the government OF New Castle
county with its eleven hundreds We wonder how much
Of those expenses it will bear under this bloatcd as
sessment that has been made up at the expenses OF
the people of this city.
Equalization is all right but let it be equalization
that equazes, and not, between Wilmington hum
dred on the side and the ten rural hundreds on
the other side lop-sided plan that is mere equal
ization farce It is outrageous to subject VIII
mngton taxpayers to such scheme for raising money
for county purposes They have been liberal to the
rural hundreds in the past and arc willing to. be lib
eral in the future. but they willing TO have
The Levy Court impose such additional burden upon
their properties as is provided by the figures cited
If the commissioners bent upon equalization,
they should have gone about IT sensible and sys-
iematic manner. They should have decided upon what
proportion Of the market value Of property the as
TO be based II full value should have
been full value; If hreequarters value then three
quarters value 10 two-thirds value then two-thirds
raue-aqd then they should have carried the oQuali-
cation plan right through the county. beginning at
BrandyNne hundred and ending at Appoqulnimink
hundred If they had done that they would have dis
covered that hundreds, II not thousands, OF properties
n the rural districts not paying their fair share
Of taxation and that the fact to inadequate as
sessmcn;s
The Levy Court should have been fair In this matter
The people tired having Wilmington made IN,
beast to bear the county burden They tired Of pay
Ing taxes that should be borne by properties in the rur
districts and that do not bear because assessor
and certain other officials wish to keep Themselves
solid with the voters Il is time for the Levy Cour
Commissioners to recognize that fact and to govern
themselves accordingly
In this present instance the work Of the regularly
sected county assessors in Wilmington was overridde
and nullihed by the Levy Court through practicall
new assessment made by men who never had bee
elected By the people for that purpose The rura
members careful TO initiate their assessment
M the rural hundreds until the exposure the schcm
TO bloat the Wilmington hundred assessment cam,
Then hurried effort was made TO bloat few Of tn
assessments in the rural hundreds particularly o.
certain large properties in Brandywine hundred Tha
effort successful but.eyen after that been &C
compIished, the big bulk OF the burden still reste
upon the Wilmington property