Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-20
Mil
HI Il IIOflGRA AYS0N
State Tax Board Protests
Against Further Reduc-
ton in County
ACTS UNDER NEW LAW
Executive Assistant Notifies Local
Board of Review State Will Not
Assent.

Richmond April 2O-Acting for the
first time undcr the new law which
greatly enlarges the authority of the
State Tax Board, Christopher b.
Garnett, executive assistant of this
body, notified the Local Board of Re
view of Grayson County yesterday
that if the commissioners of the re-
venue in that county undertook to
comply with the local boards order
directing a 80 per cent reduction in
real estate assessments, the State
Tax Board will be asked to give hir1
authority to institute proceedings III
the Circuit Court of Grayson County
for correction of the assessment.
The development is of particular
significance, since it is the State Tax
Boards first official step in the direc-
ton of bringing about an equalization
of assessment throughout the State
Grayson County has for years serv-
ed as classical example of the So
called "pauper" counties of the State,
which draw from the treasury more
money than they pay in. The 1913
report of the Auditor Of Public Ac-
counts shows that Grayson County,
in the fiscal year. ending September
30, 1915, paid to the state total
of Sl7,510.64, while the State dis
bursed on it's account total of $49,
200. 90. The loss to the State was
$91 $780, 05.
In ordering a 80 per cent reduc-
ton of the real estate assessment. the
Grayson County Board of Review JUS
titled the act by the assertion that
this property has been assessed IN
Grayson out of proportion to similar
property in other counties. and the
reduction was necessary to bring the
assessment into proportion. The lo-
cal Board of Review notified Audi
tor Moore and the latter referred the
matter to Mr. Garnett.
Mr.. Garnett promptly dispatched
the following letter to J. G. Davis
chairman of the Local Board of Pc
view &C Grayson County:
"T!na Auditor of Public Accounts
has referred to me copy of an order
entered by the Local Board Of Review
of Grayson County on April Is, 1916
from which | take the following quo.
tation:
"'Upon investigation by this board
and it being made to appear that the
real estate in Grayson County is as
sessed out of proportion to similar
real estate in other counties If thls
State, and that the same sho"ld be
lowered in order to bring i into pro,
portion to similar real estate in The
other counties, it is therefor. order
ed by this board that the three com
missioners of revenue for Graysor
County, in making out tneir lanC
books for their respective districts
reduce the assessment on each trac
of land, and on each town lot and CT
each building in their respective dis
tricts, so per cent, except such tracts
lots and buildings as have been spc
cifcally corrected and reported to
said commissioners of the revenue cr
blank forms furnished this hoard b.
the Auditor of Public Accounts o
Virginia, which specific items shall
be assessed as reported on sai'
blanks.
"This is such an unprecedented &C
tion on the part of your board tha
it appears to me such action was talk
en- without due deliberation.
"In the first place, if it should b
taken as precedent by othe- locs
boards of review, there will immed
ately commence a competitive cut
ting down of the assessments, whic
will result in disaster both to n
State and the localities affected.
In the second place, it IS faunde
upon an unethical basis. Becaus