The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-13
CITY APPRAISAL
IS RAISED LESS
THAN IN COUNTY
State Equalization Boards
Agents Fixing Values Gen.
orally in City at Not More
Than Double Assessment.

Judging by the reports OF the ap.
praisal of property in the business dis
trict and in a number of the outlying
residence wards by the representatives
Of the state equalization board, the in
creases made in values for assessment
purposes in the city will not he nearly
so great as the increase in the country
districts, and hence the future relative
payment OF taxes wilt be less for bust
ness property.
That will be in line with such reports
as have been given out at Nashville
by a. V. Louthan, chief slatstician Of
the state board that the ratio of in
crease made generally m enc rural
counties will be much higher than in
the counties in which the larger cities
are located
That, in fact, is the theory under
which the new assessment and taxa
ton laws of the state were enacted
that the larger counties were bearing
an unjust proportion OF the total tax
because of their higher assessment as
compafed with the rural counties. and
furthermore that millions of taxable
property was entirely escaping taxa
ton.
In individual instances the taxpayer
who was been getting by with allow as
sessment and whose property is now
appraised at its real cash value, Will
naturally pay more taxes even with a
lower rate But the average taXpay-
ers, whose property has been assessed
rather close to its real value, when the
state tax is cut from IS cents to % or
26-as is promised under the new syS-
tenn OF valuation, win pay no more, and
possibly less than he is now paying.
The only thing that the taxpayers in
every county will have to watch, Is
their local tax rate for county and
city purposes, in such cities as adopt
the state valuation.
The appraisers working for the state
board have tentatively finished their
appraisal in the Twenty Third ward,
which includes the section on Madison
| avenue east of Fourth street and parts
OF Court jefferson and Adams avenues
| east to about Dunlap.
In that district, especially along Mad
| ison avenue, some heavy increases are
made but it may he that the improve.
meuts IN such property have for years
! been assessed too low There are some
! fine old homes on Adams and Jefferson
| avenues, but it is well known that realty
! 'aiues there are not Increasing but rath-
e. decreasing.
| Still along Madison avenue especially
| from Fourth street to Lauderdale, the
| state appraisers have decided that for
state and county purposes the valua.
| tions there have been too low and they
| have increased them to from 5000 t.
| S400 a front foot on the land and have
| made some rather sharp increases also
| in the appraisal of the buildings
| on Adams. for example, J B. Vac
| caro's property at the corner of Nicely
street, is raised from $4,000 to $500
| the James Lee estate is raised from
$500 to $4,000 Anna p Pepper Il
raised from $4,000 to $500.
| On jefferson avenue S. II. Brooks
| property, 1876 feet front. is raised from
s1O,50O to $4,000 Carrie X Belcher
rs feet front, raised from $4,000 t,
$500
w. r. RileNs property on Madison
Just east of the bridge, on which tn
| improvements are nothing but an OLE
frame building of small value If any, Il
raised from $500 to $1,000 for tn,
rs feet front,
The old Nick Devote building at Mad
ison and Orleans. good brick build
ing is raised from 81, 500 to Sll .Uvs.
The property at the corner OF Madi
son and Orleans assessed to II. A, Car
roll, is raised from SO 800 to $500
The Bohlen Huse lee Co shuildlnl
on Court, SIS feet is raised from $3.50
to $40 900. Among the largest increase
are those on the w. A. Helm property
Piomingo, 24S feet, from $45, 600 to $142,
500. and Robert Lockwood 1868 feet OF
Iiomingo, near Madison, from $S1, 500 r
500, 900