The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1913-05-15
TO THE TAXPAYERS
Signed Statement by the Colo
rado Tax Commission

signed Statement by the Colo-
rado Tax Commission
Inasmuch as the provisions of House
Bill NJ. 34s. limiting tax levies, which
was passed by the Nineteenth General
Assembly. have been greatly mis-
represented lin certain quarters), the
Tax Commission desires to make the
following statement:
This law limiting tax levies, was
prepared by committee of the coun-
ty assessors ard the tax commission.
The law is designed to aid in bringing
about the assessment of property at
its full cash value and to protect the
taxpayer by placing limit on the
amount of tax he may be called on to
pay. To secure this. for 1918 a gener-
al limit of fifteen per cent increase
over the taxes levied in 1912 has been
placed on tax levying bodies, with
specific limits on the levy for county
current expense. including the con-
tingent and poor funds. A table has
been prepared fixing the maximum
levies for these purposes according to
valuation. The maximum levies so
provided in the bill have been determ-
ined from study of the ievies now
made for the above purposes by each
county and, when values are raised to
full cash according to law, these levies
will yield an abundance of money for
the purpose of county government.
The act also provides for the statu-
tory rates of levy for the state educa-
tional institutions and other state pur-
poses shall be SO reduced that for the
year 1918 the amount of tax thst may
be levied thereby shall not exceed the
amount levied in 1912, plus fifteen per
cent. For eaeh year aftss la21 the
levy IL limited 10 ~ not to permit
more than five per cent increase over
the preceding year. The same limit is
also placed on all tax. levyipg bodies in
the state, from the general assembly
to school district. Therefore, by
these provisions, neither the state tax
nor the city, county. town or school
tax can be increase more than fifteen per
cent in 1918, nor more than five per
cent for each year thereafter. The
taxpayer is accordingly protected.
The act also provides that any tax
ing district except the state may be
} granted five mill increase in the levy
by the tax commission when it is
shown that all property therein is as
sessed at full cash value and that this
assessment does not amount to valu-
alton large enough to permit levy
adequate for the proper support of tfe
local government. This provision is
inserted to prevent possible hardship.
The law does not apply to money
needed to pay bonded indebtedness,
warrants already issued and outstand-
ing, or interest or special assessments
for local improvements.
Under the full cash value assess
ment the state levy will be reduced
from 4 l-18 to not to exceed ID mills,
which, in the matter of state tax. will
place Colorado among the very lowest
in the nation. There will be slight in
ducement for counties to cut and slash
our state tax, and, as matter of law,
as well as good business sense, every
county should see that all of the tax
able wealth of the county is placed on
the rolls at full value and the levies
made a low as possible. Full cash
values and low levieS arc fpp6.,p,+.
ly right in principle, as well as re-
quired by law. Any person of inteli-
gence at once recognizes the advant-
age of full value and one per cert
taxes over one-third value and three
per cent taxes.
Heretofore assessors, county
commissioners, the tax conn issior
and the state board of equalization
have all grossly violated the law ard
their oaths Of office in assessing at
less than full value. From now on all
officials will be required to obey the
law. We ask the support of all fair
minded and public spirited citizens in
the effort to get the entire taxable
wealth of the state on the assessment
rolls in order that taxation may be
equitably distributed
Very truly yours,
TIE COLORADO TAX COMMISSION.