The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-10-22
In The Tax Rate This Year
Throughout State
Knox County Is Keeping Up
With Procession

IOluDlL . VI. Ll-DISdhih6 ui
high records the :aIG tax bill Of Ohio
property owners will amount TO
s1Qo,0ov,Oc0.
In 1915 the Ohio tax bill amounted
to s93,00O,O00. These figures include
the total sum property owners will
be called to pay into the state treas
ury for the support of state govern
ment, as we'll as the amounts paid
through the county treasurers' win
dows of the eighty-eight counties to
run local units of government.
In the past decade the tax bill of
Ohio property owners has been in
creased by leaps, until in 1916 they
will pay over $40,000,OO0 more in tax
es than they did ten years ago.
Strenuous efforts have been made
in the past to keep down tax rates
by increasing the duplicates. Asses.
sors have been instructed to 60 out
and search keenly for property, to
overlook none and place true values
on all unearthed. They were warned
against reducing values unless neces-
sary and against taking any off the
duplicate. AS q result the grand
duplicate Of the common wealth was
increased over $4,000, 100000 in ten
years, but in spite of that rates have
been constantly increasing. There
was halt to the advance in the Har-
mon administration when the Smith
law took effect, but the rates have
been rising of late years.
But the year 1915-1916 caps all rate
increases with an advance of from
80 to 40 per cent throughout the COM
monwealth, notwithstanding addi-
tions of millions of dollars of new
property to the tax duplicate. This
means double dose to the taxpay-
ers.
Taxing officials are viewing with
alarm the situation. The increase
through the state is expected to reach
one mill on each dollar of valuation.
No county which has reported to the
state tax commission has shown a
downward trend, but on the contrary
ell report increases.
| While the growing cities in the
past have shown a tendency to in.
crease rates faster than the rural
sections, yet this year the country
sections report advances which are
alarming. The farmers throughout
the state will find quite an addition
to their 1916 tax bill when it is hand
ed them by the county treasurers
and this notwithstanding big increas
es to their assessments.
Records in the office of the state
tax commission here give plenty o.
evidence of increase in rates.
Athens county seems to have the
distinction of possession of a taxing
district in which the rate exceeds q
mills. It is 21.5 mills, to be exact
and makes the Smith one-per-cent Ia,
limit law seem like a misnomer
Emergencies and extra levies ar,
the cause of the unusual rate.
There are other countries. howev
er, in which the rate is little shor
OF 20 mills, OF 2 per cent. The figures
suggest the probability of return
to the period before the one-per-cen
law was born in 1910, when taxinl
districts in various parts of the stat
had rates in excess of per cent.
One of the counties in which Their
/. are large increases in the tax rate
OF the various taxing districts is Ash
tahula. This is In the face of larg
increases to the tax duplicate. II
many of the districts the increase /
as high as mills.
Auglaize county shows increase
from one-half TO one mill; SO doe
Butler, Clark, Clermont and Erie
while raises run from one to thre
and four mills in Clinton. Columb
ana, Crawford, Defiance, Delawar
J and Lorain.
: Greene county held almost stead
and SO did Jefferson. Hardin, tn
home of Governor Willis, had man
increases. In Ada the rate rose froI
1l.S0 last year to 1895 this year. l
Forest, from 1880 to 1880. Mahonin
showed one taxing district with
rate Of 1920. but others we're abOr
normal. The report shows Young
town last year had rate of 1S mill
and this year 1870. Miami count
got its share and Troy had its rat
D advanced from 11.20 last year
Q 1860. Ottawa county had raises
y most districts. Clay township, in o
4 tawa county, last year had rate ,
& $40; this year 1t is z. Auglaize tow
:. ship, in Paulding county. had raj
y last year OF $50; this year it is 9.S
II Knox county shows an increased Ia
rate in every taxing district.