The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-02
Local Tax Levies Show Even q
Greater Advance.
Each Property Owner win Ray
IS Cents More on Thousand.


Kansas state taxes were today
boosted 49.5S per cent over last year
when the state commission announced
levy of 1.75 mills on ali assessable
property. The new levy is an increase
of .5S mills over last year. when the
levy of 1f7 mills was the lowest in
Kansas since 1910. Under the levy as
announced today the state will raise
$6,o15,467 for the next fiscal year.
which will be the direct tax assess
ment to meet a budget expense OF the
year amounting to $1O.42T, T,2s3.27.
The levy by the state commission is
based on a total valuation in Kansas
of $S,4S7. 7.4O9,S71, an increase of
s1s,611.64s over 1918. Last year a
total of slightly less than four million
dollars was raised by the state in
direct taxation, as against slightly
more than six million dollars to be
| raised under the current levy.
Cause of Increase.
Enormous increases in state operat-
| ing expenses and record appropria-
| tions by. the 1919 legislature oc-
casioned the record jump in the levy.
! In valuation returns for this year the
state was compelled to reduce real
| estate valuations $516,227 as a re-
| suit of appeals and corrections of
errors. Public service valuations also
took big drop this year. They
/ amounted to $4b7,6e2,eS3 this year as
sslumps in street railway valuations
| cut down valuations. The government
railroad administration also owned
$7,595,692 worth of materials and sup
plies in Kansas which were removed
from taxation.
The authorized tax for this year
under act of the 1919 legislature was
4 S6,500,000. The state commission cut
! the maximum amount to be raised by
| direct tax nearly half million dol
! lars in the levy which was today GER
! titled to all counties.
| Under the increase in state tax
each property owner will pay SIS cents
4 more for each 81 900 property than
in 1918. The levy is not only higher,
! but the increase much greater than at
any time in ten years. Governor AL
len today expressed pleasure. tho. that
the state commission was able to hold
the levy within the present bounds.
The governor had anticipated a levy
of nearly two mills.
Local Tax Levies Greater.
While the records show that the
state tax for this year is z mills
greater than in 1910, the advance in
state levies has been far below the
| growth of local tax levies. Reports
made public today by Samuel T..
Howe, chairman of the state commis-
sion. showed that in 1910. the corn
bined local levies were 7.S5 mills,
while last year they were 11.S5 mills,
an increase of four mills. or nearly
six times as great as the state in
crease.
while the increase is large. the ad-
vance in state taxes has fallen far
below the advance in local taxes for
, the same period" said Chairman
Howe. Local taxes for 1919 will not
!, be tabulated until this fall. 1t is be-
lieved, tho. that the local increases
will be proportionate with the. state
. a Inc fQf a MI
local taxes to a new record.
The budget for the new fiscal year
is shown by Chairman Howe to be ST.
: 224,696.69 greater than last year,
when it was $s,1S4,5S6.5S. The in
crease in direct tax is a little more
than two million dollars.
Land valuations for 1919 are given
by the state commission at 81, 1,452.035
225. a decrease of $516.227 over last
o year. Improvements are listed al
7 s141.14s.907. an increase of sI.O55.-
: $40 over 1918. Lots and improve
3 ments are this year valued at S499..
las, ,435, an increase over 1918 of ST..
!: 3S1. .10S. Personal property valuations
I this year are $12,O80,9S9 greater thar
last year. The 1919 figures are sSs7.-
3S4,321. Public service corporation
e valuations this year are s1,390,031 be-
: low 1918, when they. were $459,'
084.014.
}. This Years Valuations.
Total valuations this year OF 50,
! 437, ,409,S71 are $18.611,649 above tn,
: 1918 returns of $3,41S,798,222.
2 Except for adjustments no change
were made in farm valuations. Farm
values were listed by assessors las
year. Under the new law there vii
\ be no general state wide valuations o
Kansas real estate listed on the ia,
n rolls until 1922. The new law pro
vides for four year valuations a
against two year valuations under tn
II old law.
O. Owing to war time prices for grail
X and livestock, most farmers dispose
d OF surplus stocks. This action he'll
d down many increases in personal prop
n erty returns from the rural districts
= Most of the $12.000,0O increase Il
personal property returns was in tn
,, oil districts. towns and industrial cen
- ters.