The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-05-23
BOARD REDUCES ASSESSMENTS
REDUCTION OF APPROXIMATELY
$3OO.O00 MADE BY COUNTY
ASSESSORS.
Work OF Sumter Township Board in
Equalizing City Business Property
Set Aside by County Board at Meet
ing Tuesday-LOss in Taxes will be
$4,000.

The meeting of the County Board
of Assessors on Tuesday was an ex-
pensive one to the city and county.
The board reduced the assessments
on property in the city approximately
100000 at it's meeting.
The board first reduced the assess
ments Of the banks from one-half Of
their actual value, at which they have
always been assessed in the past to
one-third of their actual value. This
makes a reduction in the assessed
property Of the banks capital and
surplus of approximately $144,0O0.
Later upon the showing made by citi-
zens the increase Of $4,000 made by
the Sumter Township Board Of AS
SCISSORS on business property on Main
and Liberty street was decreased by
half, making another reduction of
$156,000, or a total of 100000.
These decreases in assessments
mean a decrease in the taxes to the
city Of $4,500 and to the county of
$500, or total loss in taxes of
$4,000.
1t also seems that the chief fea-
ture Of the decrease is not in the
reduction Of the taxes which would
have come to the city and county on
account Of the increased valuation of
property. but to the setting at naught
Of the work Of the township board in
equalizing the assessed valuation on
business property in the city Of Sum-
ter.
The Sumter Township Board met
for nineteen days and endeavored to
put the business property on Main and
Liberty streets, or in the business
section Of the city, on the auditors
books at relatively the same value, ac-
cOrding to its location, without re-
gard to the value at which it was re-
turned for taxation. In doing this
the return Of most property was in
creased. total Of $4,000 having
been made in the increased assess
ments Of the business property,
However, it was all placed on the
books at the same assessed valuation,
rendering the taxes on the property
equitable. There were quite a num-
ber Of the chief landholders on Main
Street in the number who appeared
before the County Board of Assessors
on Tuesday morning and afternoon
asking that the increase of valuation
made by the township board be dimin-
ished. The matter was discussed at
length and finally settled by a COM
promise. the County Board deciding
to decrease by one-half the increased
valuation. This of course leaves the
property at an unequal assessment, US
very little of it Is returned at the
same valuation. The property I'm the
business section. instead Of being as
sessed at $500 a front foot. or in that
relative proportion, according to it's To-
cation. Is left on the books at a value
varying from approximately 500 to
$3.50 a front foot. Some lots side by
side on Main street having a variance
on the books of as much as forty dol
lars a front foot.
The decrease in the assessment on
bank stock was made on the showing
of a delegation Of bankers, who made
their request for a decrease on the
ground that it was not fair to tax the
banks one-half Of their actual value,
when real estate was taxed at
one-third or less Of its real value.
The decrease in the bank stock as
sessment is $144,O00, while the in
crease in real estate is left at $780,
600 making an increase of $4,000
assessed property on the county
books.
The members OF the County Board
of Assessors are: Chairman. H. ].
McI.aurin. Sumter; L. f. Aycock,
Middleton; S. A. Harvin, Privateer;
j. X. McElveen. Shiloh; Robert Null
drow, Mayesville; r. 5. Stuckey,
Stateburg; T. NJ. Rogers, Rafting
Creek. w. j. Ardis, Manchester;
Howard Jones, Concord; Marion Dorm,
Among those appearing before .he
board asking for the decrease Of as
sessment were: Messrs. Il. b. Belser
l.. ID. jennings. j. X. Crosswell, G.. G.
Rowland. Neill O'DOnnen, Geo. ID.
Isaac Schwartz. ii. d. Bar
nett and others.