Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-06
LOCAL TAX BOARD CAN'T
WITHDRAW ITS REPORT
State Advisory Board Regrets That
Proceedings In This District Have
Progressed So Far.
OPINION oTATToRNEY-GENERAI
No Ultimate Hardship on Richmond,
Since Any Limit General Assem-
bly, May Declare Will Not BE Less
Than Three Years

The Richmond City Local Board OF
Review. of which John b. Minor is
chairman, will not withdraw the re-
to the Auditor of Public Accounts and
the Commissioner OF the Revenue.
Through the state Advisory Board on
Taxation the local board yesterday re-
ceived the opinion of Attorney General
Pollard on the legality of the pro-
posed withdrawal II Cas the second
opinion rendered by Mr.. Pollard and
the second was substantially rcpcti-
ton OF the first opinion he gave on the
same question Of law.
The Attorney Generals iteration OF
his first Interpretation of the law de-
timing the duties OF the local board was
forwarded to Chairman Minor after "A
lengthy session OF the state Board held
I'm the office ~ Governor Stuart ycstcr-
/ day afternoon
No ULTIMATE HARDSHIP
ON RICHMOND, SAYS STATE BOARD
| Accompanying the opinion was the
! following communication:
October 3. 1915.
John NJ Minor, Chairman Local Board
of Review. Richmond. Va.
Dear Sir,-We have your letter OF
( September %. and in accordance with
! your request have submitted the ques-
| tion raised by YOU to the Attorney
I
enclose copy OF that opinion. which
1 explains itself
We note from your letter that YOU
are In perfect accord with the State
Advisory Board on Taxation in it's de-
sire to have all taxing districts Of the
state treated with uniformity in the
! matter of reporting omitted assess
ments for previous years. and that you
are perfectly willing to withdraw your
reports already made and 20 postponc
the reporting OF dclinQucnts for previ-
Gus years until after the meeting OF
the next General Assembly. provided
you have the legal authority To do so.
You Will recall that this board has
| never undertaken to pass on the legal
/ status Of the particular case YOU pre-
! sent nor has il ever advised any ac-
| ton on your part i'm this case In our
letter to you bearing date September
| %. 1915, We repeated and amplined
the advice previously given in circu-
; lar dated June 30, 1915. with reference
to omitted taxes. and again pointed out
and emphasized the deSirability of uni
! formty of procedure with respect to
, this matter throughout the State. We
regret to find that the proceedings in
your particular judicial district had
already progressed go far as that the
! Attorney General was constrained to
! hold in his written opinion that there,
/ is no discretion in your body as to a
Y
! porary suspension. We regret this all
the more because OF the fact that yours
is the only judicial district which is
found in this situation.
! Viewing the situation as it is. how
ever. we express the opinion that no
ultimate hardship will result to the
/ city OF Richmond No policy as 10
! back taxes which the next General
Assembly is likely to declare will limit
! the collection for a period shorter than
/ that now reported to You-namely.
three years. The proba bility Is that
the period will he even longer so that
the only discrimination of which the
taxpayers of the city of Richmond can
complain IL that they may be forced
to pay their omitted taxes a few
months earlier than those in the re
maindcr OF the State
Our fixed purpose is to exhaust every
power At our command and to CO.
operate with all other powers in the
state to insure uniformity of eNccu-
tion Of Legislative policy when it is
/ declared.
| Yours very truly.