Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-07-16
CITY ASSESSMENT
Now Before the Local Board of
Review.
COMMISSIONER T. S. ADAMS
Was Present ard Conferred with the
Local Board on Tuesday.

Local Board on Tuesday.
\ conference WAS held at Mineral
Point, Tuesday, July Is, t9tl, between
the members of the Board of Review
and Commissioner Adams of the state
tax commission, relative to the appli
cation made by Assessor of Incomes
Cleary, for reassessnent of the city.
Ii was immediately made clear to Mr..
Adams that the assessor and board of
review intended and desired to make u
lawful and fair assessment On the
other hand, it became apparent after Il
'aretul examination of records and
which were not until this time avail
able to the assessor and board of review
that there were some irregularities in
the assessment; and arrangements were
made by which City Assessor Parkin
son and the board of review will revise
the figures and try to make the assess
mcnt more equal and complete, This
arrangement, If carried out satisfactor-
lily, will avoid the expense ana delay Of
u reassesSment.
1t was made clear at the conference
that any readiustment OF the local
assessment cannot affect the state or
| county taxes imposed upon the city.
The state and county equalizations are
made Independently of the local assess
nnA <x.,ll In fh.A hnt hAr
the city assessment is high or low.
II was also made clear that the move
ment for full value assessments Ia
being urged all over the state. Last
year the entire property of the state
was locally assessed at more than 80
per cent Of full value. and this year II
is expected that in the average district
the local assessment will be over 30 per
cent of full value. Mineral Point is
urged to get into line with the rest OF
the state The object of this movement
is to receive greater equality IA be-
tween citizen and citizen. The law
not only requires full value assess
ment. but in the opinion of tho tax
commission this is the only prac-
tical way to receive justice among tax
payers. When assessments are being
made at SO per cent on an average. the
man who il assessed 90 per cent does
not know that he is being Disseminated
however, gives "a plain standard, and
every man can tell when he In treated
unfairly.
In the revision of real estate assess
ments, which will be undertaken i'm
mediately. no assessments can be raised
without due notice to the taxpayers
concerned, Every taxpayer will have
chance to be heard and the mayor
and other members Of the board Of re-
view express the hope that taxpayers
generally will cooperate In securing Il
full value assessment. This will avoid
the expense of reassessment by the
tax commission, and will not affect the
city's share of state and county taxes.
but will secure "A fairer and more
scientific division of taxes among the
people.
The information relating to real
estate values collected by the tax com
mission indicates that many properties
In Mineral Point are already assessed
at full value, but that In considerable
number Of other cases some advance
,nuat ba m ada IN aata hliah ann Iitv nnI
uniformity. The figures Of the com
mission also indicate that. although
real estate values in Mineral Point
went down hill II little after the boom,
there has been halt in this movement
more recently; and that Mineral Point
has passed the bottom Of the hill IL
probably now starting to climb slowly
but surely upward.
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