Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-02-05
ASK why TAXES ARE RAISED
BIG INCREASE: IN TAXES IN ELM
DALE CAUSES INQUIRY-AU-
DTTOR EXPLAINS

missioners Tuesday at the county court
house several residents Of the town Of
Elm Dale appeared before the board
and asked an explanation for the dou-
BILE and almost treble increase in the
taxes in that town for 1914. They
said that in neighboring towns the
taxes were no higher and in some
places lower and that they could not
understand it.
County Auditor McNairy explained
the matter to the men and fully salts
fed them that the increased tax was
justified. The commissioners also re-
ceived petition from the Upsala
Farmers club, in which the same
question was asked the board. The
county auditor has written the club
q letter explaining the matter. The
letter reads as follows:
Little Falls, Minnesota
+ February 3rd, 1915
To the Farmers Club,
| Upsala, Minnesota.
Gentlemen:
Your petition to the County Board,
signed by 1 presume greater portion
Of your members, was handed me by
said board, to answer and try to ex-
plain why taxes in your town are high
! er than last year. This is not an easy
matter to do in letter. I presume
the only correct way would be to make
complete abstract Of the 1912 and
1914 assessors books and the tax Jocks,
but this I will not have time to do,
but these books are always open Tor
your personal inspection and you will
find this office ready at any time to
assist you in looking them over.
Some Of the names on your list are
from 60 cents to $500 higher han last
year and some not any. but others are
much higher. Now take the year 1918 !;
your town had valuation of $330.132
and you make levy for town purposes
Of $18OO.0O making a rate of five and
four tenths mills. In 1914 your town s
valuation is $499.S26. and you levy
for $4,383.79; your levy is considerable
purposes only.
Now with your increased valuation,
if you had levied the same amount in
1914 that you did in 1913 your taxes
would have been a great deal less in
stead of higher.
A good many of your school districts
expect to keep. your taxes down when
! you keep doubling and more, for town
rand school purposes.
! The cpunty rate is lowest, namely
Eight and Five tenths mills, that l.
En,
can guard this in measure, but have
have no control over Town and School
taxes, you and only you make these.
Now as to increased valuation, you
can readily see where this comes in up
on examining the assessors books
namely on buildings and other improve
lments.
Take for comparison the first name
on your list. Mr.. John Erickson in191z
his are assessed at $4,000; in 1914
his buildings are assessed at $3.50; il
1914 these same buildings are assessed
at $500. This runs the same al
through the two books, namely in the
past buildings have been assessesed al
!. near nothing. Now you must not blame
tyQur assessor for this, for he taxes an
| oath, something which has never done
before, to assess this property at its
full and true value. Some Of the ad.
Joining towns are still assessing build
ings the same old way, and I am con
fident at the 1916 assessment if this
continues, the Tax Commission will
order a re-assessment Of these towns
Hoping I have in a measure made
this explanation clear to you, T am.
Respectfully,
B. Y. McNairy