The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-08-18
CHAIRMAN MEL SAYS
TAXES WILL DECREASE

Editor Pensacola journal.
In your issue of Aug. tn 18th, we
find an editorial headed, Increased
Valuations and q Higher Tax Rate"
in which you charge that the state tax
commission caused the increase in
valuation of property in Escambia
county, and you further charge that
but few of the counties in the state
took the advice of the tax commission
and increased their valuation.
Now the truth Of the matter is the
tax commission did not for the year
1914 nor at any time ask any assessor
in the state to raise their valuation.
The assessors met in convention in
Jacksonville and all agreed and
pledged themselves to assess property
for the year 1914 on a basis of fifty
per cent of true cash value. The tax
commission believing this was best
under existing conditions accepted
this compromise instead of full cash
value and repeatedly urged and did
all In their power to get all assessors
to stand by their pledge and assess
property on a basis of fifty per cent
of cash value.
Escambia county has one among
the best assessors in the state, and
we believe that he honestly and con-
cientiously complied with his promise
and assessed property as near on a
fifty per cent basis as it was possible
for him to do, which caused valuations
to be raised in Escambia county, as
it did in every county in the state
except four, namely; Santa Rosa,
Calhoun, Bradford and Palm Beach,
and we believe values in these coun-
ties would also have increased had
their assessors complied with their
pledges.
The increase in valuations in the
state was fifty-two millions. Escam-
bias increase was less than two mil
hon, while she saevd in state taxes
by the decrease in state milllage the
sum of $15,595.27 less than they paid
for the year 1913.
For the year 1915 Escsmbia's vaIu-
atoms have decreased nearly one mil
lion dollars under this same agree
ment Of a fifty per cent basis and she
will pay about three thousand dollars
more state taxes than in 1914 but
still $12,500.0O less than in 1913,
when there was no tax commission,
which shows a saving to the taxpay-
ers of Escambia county for two years,
1914 and 1915, the sum of $28,117.64,
had there been no tax commission
and they had paid the same as they
did in 1913.
As to the increase in state millage
the tax commission, nor the governor,
! is not responsible for this, as the
legislature passed an act increasing
the millage for general revenue one
half mill and they made such enor-
nous appropriations, over three hun
dred and fifty thousand extra, to al
expenses of the legislature to be paid
in 1916 more than in 1914. One hun
dred and thirty-4ive thousand dollars
of this appropriation was for the pur.
pose of fighting citrus canker in the
orange belt, where they are now
growing more oranges than they car
sell or give away. Thousands OF
boxes rotted under the trees the pas
season and some when sold only net
ted seventeen cents box in car lots
We think the citrus canker in the
orange belt if let alone is like The
boil weevil in the cotton belt, bless
ing in disguise. They will keep dowr
over production and insure better
prices.
That citrus canker appropriation j
about to get me of the subject. Th'
tax commission has complied witt
every promise it has made, and VI
have given figures to show that tn,
taxpayers of Escambia county, in tn,
face of the great expense caused b.
the legislation and with increase il
valuation VIII pay twelve thousan'
dollars less state taxes for 1915 thai
they did in 1918, when there was n
tax commission, and we sre sure tina
the state millage;un the same val
Iuations win be decreased next yeal
! 1916. The only mistake that ca
see that the tax commission has mad
was that they accepted compromis
to assess property on a fifty per cen
basis of cash value. Had they II
sisted on the law being complied wit
} and all property assessed at full cas-
value the millage could have been n
duced in the same proportion and
would not have been any harder o
the tax payer as we have no law al
thorizing property to be assessed o
) t q fifty per cent of cash value. Whe