Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-12-13
County Board Proceedings

IL there is anything to be learned
from these figures, it is this, that too
much emphasis may be easily placed
upon some of the rather small items
or the assessable personal property
VI all classes of personal property
In this county, cattle and horses have
received the most careful cOnsidera
ton. No other class of property has
been sighted in determining the true
value, but horses and cattle have been
more carefully considered for the
reason that taken together they rep
resent almost 62 per cent OF all as
sessable personal property.
In as much as real estate (all
assessable lands, including the i'm
prOvements thereon) constitutes 81
per cent or more than As of all
assessable property, it has seemed to
me that in the matter of equalization,
entirely too much stress is placed
upon personal property and the var
ious classes Of same. 1t is much more
important to get a good assessment
upon the larger percentage Of prop
erty, and for that reason the state
has provided the quite adequate
means known to US as the Sales
Method, in determining the true
value of real estate and the true
value OF real estate is determined by
the Tax Commission from this sales
data. Let me here quote from the
1916 report of Mr.. Fl. v Cowles, AS
SCISSOR Of Incomes for Dane county.
Speaking Of the sales method, he
said in part:
1t is not claimed that there is any
method which is absolutely equitable.
but ii is submitted that no person has
as yet been able to devise a method
winch IS more equitable than the
sales method. The things which
strongly recommend it are briefly as
follows:
First: A fve-year average covers
period of sufficient length to give
fellaDle estimate. If for any reason the
safes OF one year produce an abnor-
maj value this bias is entirely elm
mated by averaging the five years.
Second: The resultant yalue ie
usually conservative because if re-
presents period of approximately
Two and a half years prior tn Januarv
LIST "
Third: The method eliminates anv
possible influence of the assessment
on the true value because a ratio is
applied to the assessment in each
case. Nii
Fourth: A study of the sales show
that during the iye-year period the
sales are widely scattered throughout
the districts.
run "A great many in criticising
Ihe sales Method have said that mas
hduch as the good land sells more
oiCeh IMAM the poor, sales should NOT
nc used or the average for the dis
,Flct VIII be too high. The answer to
tnls criticism is that an average sell
ing value per acre is not obtained
ana multiplied by the number of
acres IN the district If this method
was USED the criticism would have
considerable weight, because an in
JuStlce would be done to the towns
having large quantity Of marsh or
poor land, but when you obtain the
average ratio of assessed to selling
Value ana apply that ratio to the total
assessed value of the district. Won
AUTOMATICALLY eliminate any possible
DlaS on account of the sales being of
me better class Of land There is no
reason why the ratio of assessed IN
oelliHb value OF good land should be
any Inherent from the ratio of moor
land" p0''
IN determining true values for re-
Communication to you all districts
nave been brought up to the 100 per
cent mark as shown in the true value
column, Table 8, of our report.
true values for assessable personal
property III each district have been
determined from inspection data,
carefully secured by Mr.. Dave
GrliflthS, who was appointed by the
TAX commission as assistant for that
purpose, and in addition other avail
@ @ Inspection data. records and in
formation was used
Real estate values for each dis
trlct were determined from sales
data IN the manner mentioned. which |
method, l am sure. is we'll known and