The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-03-03
Member OF State Tax Commits
sion Here Today
MEETING AT COURT HOUSE
Laws That Must Be Enforced
BY Those Who Gather the
Property Statistics
From Tuesdays Daily.


J. G. Armson of Saltwater, men,
Der of the state tax commission, adj
dressed a meeting of assessors OF
Blue Earth county this morning at the
office of the county auditor. The as
SCISSORS present were: John A. John
son, Mankato city Ben d. Hughes,
Cambria; Erick Shaw, Butternut VAL
ley; Otto Coke, Lincoln; David Davis,
Judson; w. H. Cole, Lake Crystal; E.
H. Hughes, Garden City; D. A. Slat-
er, Vernon Center village; George r.
Gray, Vernon Center township; N. E.
Fuller, Amboy village; E. NJ. Griffith,
Shelby; d. E. Crane, South Bend;
Charles Sperlich, Rapidan, J. c.. C.
Kruger, Good Thunder village; Louis
Schmoock, Lyra; Herman Guentzel,
Lime; Dan Foley, Mankato township;
c.. E. Todd Decoria: S. J. Getty,
Beaufort; William Albrecht, Maple
ton village; c.. E. Jones, Mapleton
township; Charles ]. Popelka, Madi-
son Lake; William P. Conner, James
town; H. circuit, Lyra; William Code
man., Mcpherson and L. F. Phillips,
Danville.
Mr.. Armson explained various pro-
and assessing property for purposes
of taxation. He also answered num-
erous questions propounded by differ
ent assessors.
Purpose of Tax Levies.
Mr.. Armson briefly analysed the
amount and purpose of the tax levies
of Blue Earth county. The total tax
levy in the county last year and pay
able this year amounted to 1851 1881.
Each 800 of this amount, when COL
lected, will be apportioned as follows:
To the state for support of state gov
eminent and state institutions, Sc. IA;
to the county, 1923 to the towns,
90; to the cities and villages,
$22.79; to education, $50. 81, and to
roads and bridges, $1S.24.
The total state levy in Blue Earth
county last year, including the state
levy for schools and roads and bridges
amounted to SS0.S96.75, while the
county received $71,044 sc from the
state in aid of schools, roads and other
local purposes. Expressed IN another
way, for each dollar you levied for
state purposes. last year, including
schools and roads and bridges. you
received from the state in aid of
schools, roads and other public pur-
poses, $0.8S in return. These figures
show that direct taxes in their final
analysis are levied almost entirely for
local purposes.
Tax Rates Are Compared.
More or less discussion has taken
place of late as to relative tax rates in
the rural districts and in cities and
villages. In comparing rates it should
be borne in mind that farm or I'M
plated lands are taxed on a basis of
one-third of value, while city and viii
lage or plated property is taxed on
basis of forty per cent of value, or
twenty per cent higher than farm
property. 1t therefore follows that if
this rate of levy was exactly the same
on unplatted and plated property the
actual tax on the latter would be
twenty per cent higher than on the
former because of the difference in
the basis of assessment Separating
the taxes levied in the towns of Blue
Earth county in 1915 from the levy
in the cities and village of the county
it is found that the total township
levy was $266,961 Sc, the average rate
being 1891 mills, while the levy in
the cities and villages amounted to
$3.50, Jos %, the average rate in the
latter being A .25 mills Based on full
value, the rate on unplatted land
would be 1854 mills and on plated
lands IL. 10 mills.
In explaining in detail the classified
assessment law Mr.. Armson said that
prior to the passage of the new law
property of the same general char
acter and class was assessed at vary
ing percentages of true and full value
in different counties of the state and
sometimes in the same county. The
full value" provision of the old law
could not be enforced without demor-
alizing the revenue system of the
state. AS consequence, assessing Of
ficials and equalizing boards were in
effect compelled to violate their oaths
OF office by assessing property at a
percentage of value instead of full
value as required by law. The classi-
lied assessment law, however, now
makes it possible to assess property
in strict compliance with law, thus
enabling assessors and boards of re-
view and equalization to discharge
their duties without mfiicting injury
or injustice on any taxpayer or on any
taxing district of the state.
Law Must Be Observed.
The assessors were impressed with
the fact that the new law must be
strictly observed in assessing prop
erty this year. 1t was pointed out that
an assessor who Intentionally assessed
property on different percentage of
full value than that provided by law
not only violated his oath of office but
subjected himself to a heavy fine. At
tention was also called to the severe
penalties that may be imposed on a
taxpayer who knowingly makes a
false statement to an assessor. There
is no longer any Justification for a
taxpayers failure to give the assessor
full and fair return of all his per-
sonal property, including money and
credits. Every good citizen will do
this voluntarily, and the assessor, if
he does his duty, will require every
other citizen to do it.
The assessors were also advised
that it was the purpose of the tax
commission to require every assessor
in the state to assess property in ac-
cordance with law. If an assessor is
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