The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-12-30
SEWER TAXES ARE
DUE JANUARY 18th
PAYMENT IN FULL MUST BE MADE
ON THAT DATE OR HEAVY
INTEREST ADDED

Moscow property owners must pay
their sewer taxes for the special sewer
improvements authorized by the city
council on or before January IL, or
pay practically one-third more in in
terest. The assessment roll is now
ready at the office of City Treasurer
Hammond, where the taxes must be
paid, if paid before January IL. After
that date the interest for the full term
90 years. will be added. Mr.. Ham
mond figures this will be exactly 33
per cent and that it must all be paid if
the taxes are paid after January 12
Property owners have the privilege
of paying in 10 years and it can be
paid semi-annually, as is every special
tax, but if the property owner wishes
at any time to pay the full amount he
or she must pay the interest for the
full time. Thus, if it was desired to
pay of the tax after the first year the
entire 10 years interest would have
to be paid.
Unless the tax is paid on or before
January IL, 1920, it will be certified
to the county treasurer and added to
the property tax against real property.
1t can be paid then in annual pay
ments as other taxes are, and this can
be divided into half payments as
property owners are given the priyil-
ege Of paying half OF the taxes at each
payment, in the spring and in the
fall.
How Assessments We're Made.
There has been much speculation
and dispute as to how the assess
ments for these sewer improvements
were reached. The facts have been
ascertained from the records and The
Star Mirror is glad to give them to
the property owners, every one of
which is interested. 1t had been re-
ported that the assessment was reach
ed by the assessment of all of the |
real estate in Moscow on an equal |
basis per square foot. This is only |
half true" The real estate of Mos
COW has all been assessed at an equal |
per square foot for HALF of |
the tax, only. Thus property at the |
extreme edge of town pays as much, |
for one-half of the assessment, as |
on Main street. This assess
nent amounts to a small fraction more |
than one mill per square foot.
But the other half of the amount |
($37,5 ,500) is raised by assessment of |
he property of the city as taken from +,
he tax rolls of the county assessor.
Thus, if A owns a piece of property
1T the outer edge of town, say lot |
80 by $50 feet 1T would be assessed at
/ fraction more than one mill per
square foot, just as would property
N the business section. But AS prop
erty would be assessed for the other
lalf to be raised, on its actual assess I
able value, which, we will say, is $3.50, I
while BIS lot, in the business section, !
although the same size, would be as
'essed at $4,000. Each would pay
approximately 19 mills on the dollar
or the value as found by the county
sseSsOr.
There is much protest over the as
essment, especially from those whose
is SO located that it cannot
'e connected with the sewer, and who
lain they derive no benefits from the
ever extension. But the council took
he broader view that everyone II
enefitted indirectly, because we could
ave no city here if we had no sewer
ystem. 1t is too late to protest now
nd the only thing to do is to pay /,
he tax, it seems. *