Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-13
DOUGLAS COUNTY
OFFICIALS KICK
ON ASSESSMENTS
Appear Before State Board to
Show That Many Counties
Have Gut Down Land '
Valuations
From a Staff CORRESPONDENT.

Lincoln, Neb., Aug. l2.-(Special.)
Three Douglas county officials
County Commissioner Thomas
O'Connor, Deputy County Attorney
w. c. Ramsey and County Auditor
George Antilles, appeared before .he
state board of equalization Monday
afternoon to make complaint against
land assessments and total tax valua-
tons, alleged to be inadequate in
humber Of western and northern
counties of the state.
1t was charged that in IA counties
less. acreage of land is listed for
taxation this year than in 1917. The
aggregate shortage is given as 34o,-
lo9 acres. 1t was declared that iour
counties have reduced their assessed
valuations on land by total of $751;
25o.
Seventeen counties were named
where the total tax valuations wera
decreased by the county authorities
after-the state tax levy had been, made.
This caused a shrinkage of $2,604, ,64o
in the assessed valuation of the state,
1t was stated at the hearing that cleri-
. cal errors were largely responsible
for this
Board Takes Action.
The board went on record by in
structing its secretary to communi-
cate with each of the IS counties at
fected and report the explanations Of
fered for its consideration.
The loss of 346,497 acres Of land
and shrinkage in land values OF
$757,239 from the assessment rolls OF
1918 would mean a loss in state taxes
of thousands of dollars.
". Rest Of State Suffers.
The complainants set forth that the
loss of taxable property thus brought
about falls upon the remainder of the
state. Douglas county in 1917 re-
turned total valuation of $53,o59,-
827 to the state board, afterwards in
creasing the amount by an additional
S414,919, while II other counties were
doing the reverse, the members point
ed out.
County Clerk Dewey OF Doug las,
who was not among the party, has
furnished a written report embody-
ing these facts. A recent investiga-
ton of the assessment records at the
capital by County Audior Antilles re-
vsaled these figures, the statement
says. =,
The following counties are named
as having unlawfully cut down their
total tax valuations: Burt. Chase,
Cheyenne, Clay, Gage, Hall, Keith,
Mcpherson, Otoe, Phelps, Pierce,
Red Willow, Rock, SCOTS Bluff,
Sherman, Thayer and Washington.
Four Counties Reduced.
The list shows the following four
counties as having reduced their land
valuations for 1918: Dakota, $3l8,-
800; Mcpherson, $47, ,402; Nance, $780,
e52; Phelps, $l7O,5S9. Total, $751;
$50.
The counties alleged to be short in
assessed acreage this year, as COM
pared with last year, together with
the number of acres missing in each
county are: Arthur, 1923; Brown,
1852; Cherry. 1888; Dakota, 1908;
Deuel., 6,44o; Garden, 5,65l; Keith. -
,2lO; Loup, 11,162; Mcpherson, 2S,065;
Morrill,, 5,302; SCOTS Bluff, 21,667;
Sioux, 2l,745; Stanton, 2l,9H; Thur
ston, 4,435. Total, 346,49o.
One Shows Decrease.
Mcpherson is the only county
showing an actual decrease from last
year in the valuation of all property,
the protestants said, there being a
general increase in total assessments
throughout the state ranging from !
to 20 per cent.
: This is Douglas county's first kick
to the state board that it is assessed
too high in comparison with other
counties. Heretofore complaints have
always been by other counties that
Douglas county assessments, particu-
larly on merchandise, were lower than
they should be and lower in pro-
portion than the rest of the state.