The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1913-11-28

clear to you that I must assess all
property on a cash basis in order to
comply there with, and, know that
as law abiding citizen, you would
not ask me to wilfully violate the
laws of our state by assessing your
property at lower value because
t is to serve as basis of assess
ment.
A great deal of complaint has
come to me because of high taxes
attributed to the raise in valuation
this year. wish to say that the
valuation of property has nothing to
do with the raising or lowering of
our taxes, which you will agree with
me in when you have familiarized
yourselves with the system of
assessment and fixing of the levies
in the various taxing districts. 1t is
only the expenditures that raise or
lower our taxes, as the valuation
only serves as a basis for fixing the
levies, for in any taxing district the
officers who fix the levies divide
the total expenditures of the district
by the total valuation which gives
the levy. In the county the levies
are fixed by the commissioners and
all bills allowed by them. In the
school district by the trustees and
the levy voted upon by the voters
of the district. And isn't it true
that many of you never attend a
school election and yet wonder at
how you came to have so high a
levy in your district when you come
to pay your taxes? Why not at
tend these meetings so that you may
have a voice in the fixing of the
levies and the expenditures of ycul
funds? Do not leave it with a few
for often politics creeps in and ex.
cessive leyies are made in order tc
discredit the officials in office, which
l have found to be so this year ir
some cases which I have pers onally
investigated. In one school district
levy of eight mills was made wher
two mills would have been sufficient
thus raising the taxes six dollars or
every $1,000 of valuation. Of course
they will need no levy next year.
Take in the case of Kendrick thi.
year. The council wished to levy
about $1,000 for the town for th'
ensuing year. which on this year
valuation would have required a lev!
of five or six mills, but with tn.
total value of Kendrick before then
they levied fifteen mills, with which
they will raise something like 50. 900
more than enough to run the towr
for two years. If the people vii
keep a check on the amount o
money raised and see that it i
properly expended they will need nc
levy for the next year or two ane
taxes will be lowered proportionately
In the case of Kendrick this yea
their taxes are nine or ten dollars TO
each 1000 of valuation in exces
of what they should have been hat
: the council levied just what wa
needed. Now this is very often tn
case and you should check up you
local affairs and lay the blame wher
+ it belongs. The state and count,
levy this year is only 8.2 mills a
! compared to 9 mills last year. w
have the smallest state and count,
levy in the state and we are one o
| the largest counties. What I wisl
to make clear to you is this, that
is our expenditures that raises o
lowers our taxes. and I shall be gla,
to cooperate with you in giving yo
the total amount of money raised i
Y any school district, city, town o
Y village, and such other informatio
: as my records may contain whicl
t will be of aid to you in lowering Q
Y cutting out any needless expenditure
r anywhere, for as it is only by 5
r doi-g that our taxes can be lowered
c Now in Moscow this year our take
] are way up, and why? Because "