The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-04-11
FAYETTE WILL
CARRY TAX Case
70 The COURTS
Practically Same Situation rs to In.
crease Of Tax Assessment Exists
In Fayette County As In
Mason County.

lnteTeSL Ill tne prOpOSeu ehIehni'e
assessment increase on taxes that has
caused one board Of tax supervisors
in Mason county to resign and another
to assume an attitude Of watchful
waiting seems to exist all over the
state but will now likely center on
Fayette county where 1t is likely that
the case will be tested out in the
courts.
The situation in Fayette county is
exactly the same as exists in Mason
county and in regard to this situation
today's Lexington Herald says:
Fayette county's protest against the
increase in assessment ordered by the
State Tax Commission will be heard
again today when the County Board of
Equalization will appear b efore the
commission at Frankfort in response
to request from James Scott, chair
man of the commission, received yes
terday.
Several days ago the County Board
of Equalization completed its work
and the increase made by the board
showed that only an increase of lit
tie more than 100000 had been made
by the board instead of approximately
$7,5OO,OOO as ordered by the State Tax
Commission.
When the report of the Board of
Equalization reached Frankfort James
Scott, head of the commission de-
clared that the commission would pro-
coed under the law and see that the
increase ordered is made. The re-
quest that the Board of Equalization
appear before the commission was re-
ceived yesterday by County Judge F.
A. Bullock.
Judge Bullock when asked what &C
ton the county would take should the
State Tax Commission insist on levy
ing the $7,OOO,000 increase, he declared
that ut is known that Fayette county
property owner1 are ready to do as
their neighbors in Montgomery county
have done-retain counsel and attack
the law itself in the courts"
"Fayette county's Board of Equal
ization is composed of men who are a:
good judges of values of land and per
sonal property as can be found any
where in Kentucky" said Judge Bull
lock. Headed by Major E. B. Ellis
for many years in business in Lexing
ton, the personnel of the body is made
us as follows:
81. E. Phelps, real estate man. one
of the best posted men in Fayettt
county on the value of lands and towr
lots.
Hon. Charles B. Nichols, farmer
and former member of the General AS
| StllUly, thV iSSio'e'u'
which enacted the tax laws.
al. NJ. Barker, we'll known farmer
and himself an excellent Judge of thu
value of farm properties.
Captain ]. r. Howard, former
wholesale grocer and well acquainted
with mercantile values.
a. G. Knox, banker and clothing
merchant, served for the first week o.
the work of reassessment, but was
called away on pressing business ant
Mr.. Phelps took his place on the
board" continued Judge Bullock.
"These men I am confident are ca
pable of sitting on the board and have
not found the raise fair and should the
raise have been made property of the
county would have been assessed be
yond its true cash value" said Judge
Bullock.
In explaining the stand taken by thu
Board of Equalization in failing t
make the increase ordered by the Ta1
Commission, Chairman Ellis said:
when men of standing in the com
munity came in and made oath to tn
values of their properties, we did no
feel like raising them, after we hal
ourselves discussed such valuations
Tax Commissioner Will White tool
farm lands in Fayette as of July I, be
fore the increase in real estate price
in Fayette to which attention has beel
called. When the tobacco marke
opened, land value Immediately wen
up. Unheard of prices for tobacco al
so caused speculation in land in som
parts Of the county. Three gentlemen
solely for speculative purposes, pur
chased tract of land not worth hal
what they paid for 1t at 1915 an acre
They sold 1t recently at 1891 an acr
and each of the three cleared s66 a
his share of the profits.
Men of intelligence in the commun
ity, men who know land values, sa,
these prices are inflated and bankers
to my knowledge, are chary Of accept
ing notes for deferred payments OF
these lands, even when third Of tn
purchase money was paid in advance.
Under the provisions Of the rev
enue and taxation law we are giver
as an equalization board, "a days I
90 over the tax lists Of Fayette coun
ty. When one stops to consider tina
there are between $4,000 and $500
pieces of property. real and persona