Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-03-26
COUNTY AUDITOR
EXPLAINS POSITION
STATEMENTS MADE IN HOPKlNTON
PAPER SAID TO BE UNFAIR
TO OFFICIALS.
ASSESSORS FIX VALUATIONS
County Auditor Has No Part In Fixing
Valuations on Town Lots and
Farm Lands.

Editors The Manchester Democrat
l desire permission to address tn,
taxpayers of Delaware County through
your paper The Hon. w. S. Beels
editor. of the Hopkinton Leader. ha.
been misrepresenting the action tn,
assessors took at their meeting O
Jan. II, 1919, as regards increases il
the valuation of lands and town lots
In the first place, Mr.. Beels wrote t.
the auditor of state saying that the
assessors had agreed to raise all town
lots 10 per cent, and land per cent
regardless of whether the property was
assessed for its full value or not. This
was not true
Took No Part In Meeting.
was not at the assessors meeting
save to call 1t to order, and they elect
ed C. ], Murray, chairman and F. r
Sager. secretary. / gave them the in
creases the executive council put on
town lots and land two years ago.
After the assessors had placed the val
uations on these classes of property
the state raised town lots 10 per cent.
Our average on land was about 40
cents below the state average, but I
took 1t up with the executive council
to see II we would have to change
all of our land values for so small an
amount, and was advised that so long
as we were so near the average we
could let 1t 60. We did so, but we had
to put 10 per cent raise on every
lot in Delaware County, regardless OF
whether it was assessed for all it. was
worth or not
Viewpoint Of Assessors.
The assessors deemed 1t best to
hold the average OF town lots 10 per
cent higher than they had been as
sessed two years ago or at the same
value you are paying for in 1917 and
1918, but in doing so, to lower the
ones that were assessed too high and
raise the ones that were assessed too
low, so that when they were through
the average would be the same as 1t
was after the state raised it two years
ago. AS to the increase on land, Mr..
Klaus, the former county auditor, was
talking with Secretary Bales of the
executive council in December, and he
asked him if he could tell us what the
average of Delaware County should be,
SO the assessors would have something
to go by. He said there was no way
that he could, but that there was no
doubt it would be higher than two
years ago, and State Treasurer Hoyt,
of the executive council, told me the
same thing, but that he could not say
how much increase would be. I told
the assessors these things, and Mr..
Murray tells me they agreed it would
be better for the assessors to levy the
raise themselves than to assess the
property the same as two years ago,
for they could, raise and lower 1t, as
they knew the land that was assessed
too high or two low, and they were
to try to have the average per cent
higher than two years ago.
Auditor Of State Writes.
Mr.. Beels comes out in his news
paper under a hearding, without
Legal Warrant" Just as soon as l
was informed that Mr.. Beels. had
written to the auditor OF state, l also
wrote to that Official and explained to
him what action the assessors had
talked at their meeting. Below l give
a part Of his letter, which is on file
and which I will gladly show to any
one who wishes to see 1t:
March 5, 1919.
Robt. Fishel, County Audtir:
II have yours of the 1st relative to
the rule adopted at the assessors
meeting this year, fadding 10 per
cent to real estate, and in reply will
say that this rule in one sense might
be all proper and right, but in the
sense that it was presented to US it
would be radically wrong. For in
stance, we understood the situation
was that the assessors were to take the
valuation made two years ago and simp
ly add 10 per cent to the valuation
for this year. Now, of course, this
would be wrong and contrary to law,
but a general understanding between
the assessors that they would assess
all property on a higher basis than
they did two years ago would be
proper and right. Signed by F. S.
Shaw, Auditor of State, by ]. F. Wall,
Chief Clerk.
A Self.Appointed Guardian.
Now. Mr. .Beels is sending letters
to all mayors of corporations and
understand too some of the trustees.
advising them to see that this raise
is not put on. l would like to ask
Mr.. Beels when he was appointed
guardian of the various boards of re-
view of Delaware County. He accused
me of telling the assessors what to
do, and had nothing. to do with it..
save to give them such information as
we had received from the state, which
the law compels me to do.
Assessors Doing Duty.
Now, can safely say that every as
SCISSOR in the county has done his best
to be- just and square with every tax
payer in the county. l have discussed
this matter with several assessor, and
it was clearly understood by them
how the increase was to be applied.
Mr.. Martin. the Hopkinton assessor,
misunderstood me over the phone
when l read to him what the assessors
had done at their meeting, but as soon
as he discovered his mistake he went