Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-05-06
NO EXPLANATION FOR The INCREASE

D.
Interest to Tax Payers Of
ss. .s.s$ Delaware County.
State, county and school taxes are
unusually high this year, and there
seems to have been. no explanation
offered, therefore the following:
When the board of supervisors COM
5s4 pleted it's work as a board of review
35 ut the June session, 1918, making
such increases in the real estate and
personal property assessments as to
them seemed reasonable and just, the
county auditor compiled the result OF
their action and forwarded the report
to the executive council Of the state,
as required by law.
The executive council, which is COM
posed of the governor, secretary OF
N state, auditor of state and treasurer Of
state met in Des Moines IN July, as
required by law, and notwithstanding
q the adjustments made by the board
1, of supervisors, added 20 per cent.
more to all the farm lands of Della
ware county, and 9 per cent more TO
#S all the lots.
State Boosts Land.
In the year 1911, the executive coun-
Il Gil added 22h per cent. to the farm
KS lands of Delaware county and at the
assessors meeting held in January,
vs. 1913, 21H per cent. more was added,
It making an increase of Is per cent, to
which the executive council in July,
1913, added % per cent, making a
\ total increase of SO per cent. on farm
lands since January, 1911, bringing
the average value per acre Of Della
ware county farm land to approx
mately $4,000 per acre. The executive
council also added percentages to
s5 live stock as follows:
One year old colts, 25 per cent.
Horses, 61k per cent.
Mules, % per cent. ~.
I One year old heifers, AK per cent.
Cows, ~ per cent.
Two year old steers, 60 per cent.
Bulls, ITO per. cent. 81
Sheep, 80 per. cent.
Two year old colts, rs per cent.
Stations, 100 per cent.
Feeding cattle, At per cent.
Sss$ Two year old heifers, IS per cent. !
Three year old steers, 60 per cent. |
Hogs, AZ per cent. 'r< !
The total state levy is increased over |
last year one mill, while the claim Is
made that the levy was lowered,
4 which, in part, is true, as the gener-
d al state fund levy was lowered from
/ 3.4 mills to 80 mills, %but the last
! legislature made three new levies Of
Il IS mill each, which would increase
sf:the totai levy by / mill. Verify this +
n by comparing your tax receipts)
In addition to this the legislature
enacted a law making 1t compulsory
PNr tl,@ yi,nv f0 law
levy for road building purposes. This
law does not, however, apply to any
incorporated city or town.
N In addition to the above law the
Legislature enacted law which ef-
sffects general raise in the salaries
Of school teachers of the county
q (Which is a very good law and one
4 that every taxpayer should favor) but
Y any increase in school expenses makes
lit necessary for the school boards Of {
I the various school districts to increase
1.-THE amount required, consequently
8school levies increase. |:
AZ Another law passed by the last leg
2islature was one creating state ex- {
amining board to examine all county
offices, for which purpose there were
appointed eight men at $500 per day
and expenses, and eight assistants,
who draw a per diem and expenses
and the cost of this is to be met by
the taxpayers Of the county, as this
lis to be paid out of the county fund. !
j. In counties where the examiners (
have been it has cost from $4,000 to {
#$S0O.0O, where before the enactment {
S5of this. law the board of supervisors
have checked the Offices at an expense
to the taxpayers of about s60.00.. |,
Another law passed by the Seth
III to1, ISSaphk 10 ,
good law, but which calls for more
money, is the road law. -,
Bridges Cost More.
n Under this law the county will no
longer erect cheap bridges. The days
of wooden bridges have gone-not
only wooden bridges will be thing
of the past, but wooden floors also.
Practically every bridge erected last
year was steel structure of con-
crete and steel with a concrete floor.
Everything in the line of bridge work
tends to permanency, which, probab-
ly in the years to come will be the
cheapest, but at the present time re-
quires more money than formerly, and
for this reason the board of supervf-
sors did not see their way clear to
make any reduction in the bridge levy.
ag Now let us see just what the SUI
Il |
levies made during the year 1913.
They are responsible for the coun-
ty levy of As mills; the bridge levy
OF 5 mills; the poor Of mill: insane,
Il mill; soldiers relief, 3 mill; and
the county drainage Of 1 mill, or a
total of 1913 mills to take care of all
county expense, bridges, poor, in
sane, relief of soldiers and drainage
Of county road system. l.
The general school levy Of 1 mill,
the county road of 1 mill, the county
road building of 2 mills are fixed byl
law and must be levied by the board
Of supervisors whether they wish orl
not. s,--.-
in 1912, which was election year, the
county levy was 5 mills and lowered
to As the next year, and notwithstand-
ing that this is election year and the
added expense Of the primary and
election are to be met out of the coun-
ty fund, the board left the levy as 1t
was at As mills, or virtually drop of
1A mill.
Out of this county fund there was
the added expense Of the engineers
office, examinations Of accounts re-
ferred to and the primary and elec-
ton.
County Fund Loaded Down.
Out of this county fund, which
amounts to $37705.29 for this year,
there has to be paid the primary and
election expenses, assessors, township
clerks, township trustees, all court
expense which includes grand and
trial kiiries, court reporter, all salar-
! les ahd supplies for the offices, fuel.
light, repairs, bounty, printing board