The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-08-20
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ocala, Fla, August 6, 1917

u
The board of county commission.
ers convened with all members pres
ent.
c. w. Code appeared before the
board and made application for PEN
sion.
The clerk was instructed to write
NJ, F. Sanders. MoTriston, Fla, con-
corning obstructin gpublic roads.
The matter of repairs at the jail
was placed in the hands of the chair
man with power to act.
The minutes of the July meeting
were ordered amended to show that
H. NJ. Hampton appeared before the
board as attorney for Mrs. D. c. Ed
wards in reference to reduction in
assessment Of Ocala House property,
which request was refused because
the board considered the assessment
in line with other assessments.
Mr.. John Rawle appeared before
the board in reference to reduction in
assessment of Standard Oil Co., which
was refused. NJ
c. NJ. Hawkins, pauper, being re-
ported dead, his allowance was order
ed discontinued, and warrant for s12,
allowance for July and 1925 for his
burial expenses was ordered drawn in
favor of the Kings Daughters
Proposition of repairing public road
on the county line in the vicinity Of
Williston was referred to Comms-
sioner Baskin.
Warrant for SIS ordered drawn in
favor of Esther Peterson, Martel, for
relief of Ella Williams, pauper.
Henry Harrison was placed on pau
per list at So for one month.
Mr.. Dale of the Dutton Phosphate
Company appeared relative to assess
/ ment of lands belonging to said COM
pany in this county. The board re-
quired an opinion of Messrs Hooker
and Martin as to whether it was
within the jurisdiction of the board
to consider this matter at this meet
ing, which opinion was rendered as
| follows:
Ocala, Fla, Aug. Z, 1917.
Board of County Commissioners of
| Marion County, Ocala, Fla:
Gentlemen-In response to your re-
quest we hand you herewith answer
| to the question whether at the pres
ent meeting of your board you would
be authorized under the law to lower
an assessment of property where
such assessment was not changed by
the board at it's meeting in July.
At the session this morning the
writer was under the impression that
the present meeting was being held
solely for the purpose of hearing
complaints on account of raises in
assessments made by the board Of
county commissioners. An examina
ton of section % of chapter 1896
acts 1907, now in force. especially the
last sentence of that section, makes
It plain that the August meeting Of
the board of county commissioners II
held for the purpose not only of ad
justing complaints as to changes II
assessments made by the board, but
they may also hear and adjust any
complaints of assessments made By
the assessor. The complaint of the
Dutton Phosphate Company assess
ment is one relating to an assessment
first part of the section referred tt
would indicate that the only time fol
complaint of assessment fixed by the
assessor would be at the July meet
ing of the board, yet the last sentence
reads as follows:
"The board OF county commission
ers shall meet on the first Monday IL
August or September of each year fol
the purposes of hearing complaint
from owners or agents of any rea
estate or personal property, the val
ne of which shall have been fixed b.
the assessor or changed by them, and
for that purpose the board shall sit az
long as it may be necessary"
In case of doubt we believe the
safe RULES to resolve it in favor o.
] the tax payer and we would let thu
last sentence control in preference Il
a contrary intention expressed in the
first part of the section, and hear and
adjust any complaints of assessments
whether fixed by the board or by the
assessor. Hooker & Martin,
By E. H Martin.
Thereupon the assessment on plant
of said company in precinct No. "a
was reduced from $4,000 to $500.
Mr.. G. S. Scott, chairman of the
school board, appeared before the
board of county commissioners rela
tive to commission owed by this
board to the late treasurer, John NJ
Graham.
Upon motion the board recommend
ed that F. H Guess be allowed to re
deem tax certificate No. 621, sale Of
June 9Th, 1904, on lot No. 381, towr
of Dunnellon, upon valuation Of $50.
The board, after hearing complaints
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