The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-24
REALTY EXCHANGE MAKES COMP ARSON REFRESHMENTS Declares That Tax Raises in Jefferson County Are
 Out of Proportion OTHER COUNTIES
 LOWERING TAXES Increases in Other Counties Do Not Exceed 5 Per Cent-Jefferson
 Increase B 1-3 Per Cent

The proposed increases in the assess ments of property in Jefferson county made by the board of equalization are out of proportion to the increases made in other counties, according to figures made public by the Birmingham Real Els tate Exchange. An effort has been made to secure from every county in the state the reports as to the past assessments and the increases proposed by the coun- ty boards of equalization, and this in- formation has been received from 32 coun- ties, which may be taken as an indication of the results in all the others Where the proposed increases in Jefferson coun- ty amount to about B 1-3 per cent the average for the other counties of the state shows an increase of about per cent. In some instances, the assessments have been lowered by the county boards over those of previous years.
 Attention is further directed by the Real Estate Exchange to the fact that the proposed amendment allowing counties and cities to vote d special tax levy for school purposes will doubtless be adopted this fall. Should Jefferson county then vote for special levy, an increase of b cents in the present rates would re- suit, this county already having a special leNy Ol 10 CeIltS TOT SCHOOL purposes, ana 90 being the maximum amount that each county can vote. Then, in view of the critical condition of the finances of Bir- mingham, it is considered certain that the city would also vote a special levy of 30 cents for school purposes, which would result in a new increase in the tax rate of the city of 45 cents This would bring the total tax rate of Bir- mingham up to $2. 80. Since other counties ar raj cir1u oe ccrr1a ,fc only per cent and since Birmingham is probably soon to increase her rate for all purposes to $2.S0 in the opinion of the Real Estate Exchange, an increa SC in assessments of 5 per cent is all that is justified by the situation.
 SLIGHT RAISES ELSEWHERE
 The statement of the Real Estate Ex- change follows:
 The following intensely interesting fig ures have been compiled from letters re- ceived by Tax Collector McLendon dur ing the past week or two from 32 coun- ties of the state and they bear out fully the contention which we have made, that the other counties of the state were not attempting to make anything like the raises in their assessments that the board of equalization proposed for Jefferson county.
 'The name of the county is given first, immediately after this appears the as- sessed value of the real estate and per- sonal property for the year 1915. and fol- lowing that in quotation marks is the comment which the tax assessors in each of these counties make about the work of the board of equalization.
 Barbour, $6,061, Somewhat larger but can't tell exactly on account of ex- empt mules"
 Bibb, s, ,903, ,263-"About the same"
 Blount, $5, 5,236, ,S6o-"The newspapers re- port an increase of $324. .72S in citations, CT 6 per cent"
 Butler, se,Os7, ,5Os-"About s125,O0 increase, which is 2 per cent''
 Calhoun, $14,724, 1S3-"Don't know"
 Chambers, $7.351, ,41S-"About S550,00O in crease, or about 8 per cent"
 Chiffon, s4.s 74o-"About 10 per cent in- crease.'
 Colbert, s6, 4so, ,7es-. -.1ncreased something like s435,o0O, or about 61a per cent
 Coosa. s2,615, 46s-" Fifteen per cent is my estimate.
 Cullman, $7,O45, -''Something like 1915. Don't think there will be much differ ence.''
 Dallas, 14,1ss, 27s-"Personal property will be short of last year. Can't give you any figures until books are com pleted.'
 De Kalb, s5. .343, ,2so-"About s4oo,ooo larger Ofif12 per cent.
 Escambia $7,124, 739-"About $150,0O lar ger or per cent"
 Etowah, $11, ,634 4S4-The newspapers re- port an increase of $1250.000 in citations or about Il per cent.
 Greene, $9.747, -"Approximately $So0oOO larger" or 8 per cent
 Henry, ss,S97, 75-"Practically the same"
 Houston, $7,672, ,465-"About $75O, ,00O larger, provided the courts do not make too great inroads on the volume as filed by the board" This indicates 10 per cent increase.
 Jefferson, $147015, 5,146-The citations sent out by the board amounted to $47, 358,832, or an increase of about 33 1-3 per cent. The interesting point at this time is how great the reductions will be in these citations.
 Lamar, $3.264. .24O-"About 40 per cent increase on land" Their real es- tate in 1915 was $1675,509. so his es- timate of 40 per cent would be $670.- 203, which indicate about 20 per cent increase in the total assessment, if all of the citations are sustained.
 Lauderdale. $5,962,252-The newspa- per reported $70o,o00 increase in citations. or about 12 per cent.
 Lawrence, 3,S16,524-"Larger by about s40,O0o," or raise of about 1 per cent.
 Macon. $5.1s7. 7.os5-"s Small increase in real estate, and about the same loss on personality" In other words no net increase.
 Madison. $12,5S2,614--The newspapers
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