Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-11
Council Bluffs
PROPOSE VALUATION PLAN
Councilmen and County Super
visors Discuss It at Dinner.
HOPE TO ADOPT THE SYSTEM
Contract Submitted Calls for Ex-
penditure Near Ten Thousand
Dollars for Two Branches
of the Go-e-nment.

ueINllLe proposition was last nlBnt
submitted to the members of the Board
Of County Supervisors and the city coun-
ell TO assess all property In the city and
county hereafter in accordance with the
Somers system OF edualiEing valuations.
The use OF the system and the experts
who will direct tie administration Will
cost the city about 1850 and the county
comparatively a small sum, not to ex-
coed $4,000 for the county.
The system was outlined at dinner at
the Grand hotel by Walter w. Pollock
and william Young of Cleveland o., rep
resenting the Manufacturers Appraise-
ment company of Cleveland The plan
has been previously outlined in The Bee
when Mr.. Pollock first presented it last
summer.
To Real Estate Primarily.
1t applies primarily TO real estate valua-
tons, although it is equally capable Of
effecting equitable valuations OF personal
property. The valuation OF real estate
in every block in the city is determined
by the location Of the block in relation
to the business centers and the value of
each lot in each separate block bears its
proportional value to the highest priced
enters only into the determination of
the most valuable lot in each block. This
lot IL marked 100, then by a tabular scale
the proportional value of all the other
lots In the block is determined by the
ratio process. This refers only to the
ground. The buildings and improvements
are determined by a second process based
upon the same methodical system
FTTa- - L.. N tmk.N %
the city council and the county board in
Guides the services of two experts fur
nished by the appraIsement company,
who are to be paid $50 per month in
seni-monthly installments until 5000 has
ben paid. The remaining $500 is retained
until after the county board and the city
council. sitting as review boards, have
completed their work under the guidance
and with the assistance of the real estate
and building experts. All Of the valua-
tons are made in cooperation with the
city and county assessors, although in the
country the experts do not make personal
examination Of the property to be valued,
but furnish all Of the blanks and instruct
the township assessors in their use
Equal Tax Sharing.
and mathematical system OF ascertaining
values and eqpitably distributing the bur
den OF taxation. At the present and
throughout the past there is and has been
no system whatever. Pure guess work. !"
often dominated by pull and favor
itism, governs. The result is that some
pay twice the amount Of taxes they
should while others escape with one-half
payment and sometimes none at all.
At the meeting last night all Of the
members Of the council present, including
Aldermen, Stone. Kelly. HOFFMAN, Huber
and Boyer expressed their approval of
the plan and their conviction that II
would provo a very popular measure, re-
lieving the burdened many and catching
the tax-dodging few Supervisors Coe and
Harding expressed the same convictions.
The matter will be considered by the city
council and the county board at an early
date. When a vote was called for all of
those present, including real estate men
and merchants. expressed unanimous ap-
proval OF the plan
Many Cities Using II.
II was stated that more than 100 cities,
including several in Iowa. are now using
the system. One of the problems remain
ing to be solved by the city and county
officials is the authority under the law to
adopt the system ana the funds to be
drawn upon to pay for II
City Assessor F. c. RIker acted as
chairman of the meetings and near the
conclusion was requested to appoint q
committee to present the matter to the
city council at the meeting next Monday
night He named Robert B. Wallace. Roy
wilcox. H. G. MCGEE and Attorney Kistle
The citizens present endorsed a resolu-
ton which contains sentiments in accord
with those expressed at the meeting.