The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-09
COUNTY TAX RATE
CAUSES STRUGGLE
Present Rate Highest Ever.
State Rate Will Be Higher.
County May Cut.

The county officials and the squires
are lust now puzzling their brains 10
ascertain whether or not they VIII be
able 10 hold the tax rate to 81. 6S, where
a. II at present. or ne forced To raise
the rate because Of the increase IN the
state tax, Some profess 10 believe thal
the county rate may be reduced not
withstanding the increase in the stale
tax.
The rate Of Sl.6S Is the highest on
record in shelby county. This rate was
made during the Ashcroft-Tat regime
in 1917.
The rate in 1909 and 1910 was Sl.b0.
In 1911 il was reduced 10 Sl.4e, Nhelt
Crump got control Of the count court
in 1912 1t was reduced 10 Sl,S9 ana
remained at that figure for five years,
or until Ashcroft-Tate forces got con-
troll in 1917, when It was raised 20
cents, or from $l,S9 to $l-6S, Fiiteen
cents Of this raise came through an IN
crease in the state tax, while the couii-
" sQuires then In control added an
other IA cents for the county.
Then when W. II, Condor became
county assessor he raised the assess
ment on farm and country property,
averaging probably 80 l-S per cent, in
many instances a much higher assess
ment, but property In the city was low
cred and raised according 10 It's loca-
ton. .
The Crump forces got in control OF
the court again In 1918. To offset the
raise they had made in the assessment
in 1917, the anti-Crump forces thth
sought to force those in power TO lower
the tax rate, a thing the court declared
st could not do at that time owing
TO war conditions, increased bonded in
d%ebtedness and 10 the rising costs Of
material and labor. II vas thought
the tax could be lowered In 1919, but
now the forces In power are confront
oil with the increased state tax which
lis making them think deeply In order
to give relief TO the taxpayers and at
the same time keep the pixies, roads and
bridges and the schools in the high
state of efficiency which is expected,
Assessment Unchanged.
There will be little change In the
assessment this year over last, The
tax aggregate last year showed a total
assessment of real and personal prop
erty Of Sl09, 00S, l04. This was an in
crease over the previous year Of about
$1,000, 600 due to the increase in the
county assessment on real estate, This
yeartis an off year In the assessment
OF real estate and therefore there will
= he 10 change except AS To improve
ments, which will not make any APP
preciable change one way or the other.
Personally Is also assessed annually,
hut the personally assessment this year
will be about the same as last. The
county assessors original figures. how
ever, win be about $500, 600 short of
last year according to w. T, Condor,
county assessor, but that il explained
by the fact that the state railroad com.
mission, made a public utilities COM
mission by the legislature this year,
will take over the assessment OF per
sonal property OF the gas company, the
@ a1n,n ~ a.A AaInANA,., Iau nRI
other utilities, This commission alsC
makes the assessments OF the real es-
tate Of the public utilities such as rail,
roads, telegraph and telephone com
panies and other public utilities, These
monies come back TO the county, now
ever, 40 matter who makes the assess
ment, whatever 1t may amount to,
There IL also considerable none
coming to the county from pickups, Tn,
bulk Of this comes through the count,
court clerk though some comes back II
the nature of delinquent taxes from tn,
trustee and back tax collector and sofnu
from the circuit court clerk. The blgges
item from the county court clerk thi
year will be approximately S7b, 900 TO
automobile licenses, This money mus
be used on the state highway In tn
county where collected, The county ais
VIII get some of the one include
tn the state taxes. for instance,
cents 81 the state tax will he used fo
schools in the counties where collected
and the county will also get some I
the one mill tax for state roads q
well as help from the federal govern
ment.
Farms Hit Hard.
Some revenues are received froi
road and poll taxes, the poll take
however, going to the state for appor
4iRnFanRf IN attxV aud ,,Aat,t,V hanrA. .
education, The poll tax Is u school tn
and Is used for that purpose only.
The assessment was raised last yea
about 80 l-3 per cent ON country proT
erty, especially farms, and in some In
stances a much larger increase WI
made. The farmers did not complai
much at the lime as county propert
had been under-assessed The rails
IN the tax rate, however, together wit
the increased assessment made SON
of them nervous
There were few raises in the assesl
ments Of city real estate by the count
assessor last year but many redut
TONS occurred in close-in resident
property,
One thing that is bothertng some
the tax-tiXers is the fact that expens,
this year will be greater han for mar
years. There are more bond issues
take care of by providing for sinkir
iunuS ana the payment OF mtereS
payment of some bonds are due, m,
terials Of all kind used in road al
bridge building and at the several Il
situations are much higher, wages ha
heen increased to a much larger figu
and on top of this the roads al
bridges were damaged TO possibly $3.50
goo during the big rain OF April. A
OF these things win have to be cousi
cred in fixing the budget and tax ra
next month.
The 80 cent proportion of the tax {
turnpikes and roads win have to
drawn on for bond and other paynNn
this year approximately sos, 900, II
sum OF S22. 500 will have TO be paid
the city with interest for work done
outlying streets beyond the city limi
hut this will be offset by a charge
the city for its proportion for pa
maintenance OF the courthouse, amour
ing approximately to SS4, 900. The 81
prtau Af the apttntNF - a., .ual,,A. -.