Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-01-26
COUNTY'S ASSESSMENT
IS s24,937,880|
Tax Commissioner Completes
Work-Law Proposed To VAL
ue Land Every Four Years

list Tor the taxpayers OF Madison
county. The total assessed valu
alton of taxes for the coming
The value of lands and improve
ments of the county as set forth
in the assessment, is placed at
$14.S57,14O.
Number of acres of land, 267,-
958.
Number of town lots, 2,421.
Value of lots and improvements
S3,O33,52O.
Total value of tangible person
al property, $1,756, $40.
Total value of live stock, 81,
755,340.
Number of polls, 6,213.
Male dogs, 1889.
Female dogs, 29z.
Intangible personal property,
$3,494,S7O.
Bank shares, $661, $40.
Exemptions, $620,700.
year, is placed at S24,937, $3.50.
Land will be listed for assess
ment but once every four years
if a bill by Senator w. A. Perry,
democrat, of Louisville, is passed
by the present legislature.
The measure provides for the
assessment of lands only once
every four years, instead of an
nually as at present, the first
quadrennial assessment to be
made on July /, 1920, all other
property to be assessed for state
and in county purposes annually,
as is now done.
It is provided in the Perry bill
that when such lands are assess
ed it shall be the duty of the
County Tax Commissioner OF
each county, to carry on his
books such assessment from year
to year for the four-year period
and that it shall not be disturbed
after the first review during that
time by either the County Tax
Supervisors or the State Tax
Commission.
The measure, Senator Perry
contends, is intended to correct
the present system of assessing
lands, which he says keeps the
owner in, continual hot water. He
points out that under the pres
cnt system, all property f assess
ed as of July |, each year by the
County Tax Commissioner whose
books close about December l,
after which the assessment is re-
viewed by the State Tax Conn
mission, which is likely to re-
turn the whole assessment for
any arbitrary increase it may
order, thus keeping The taxpayers
in a ferment for practically
whole year, or until it IS time to
make the next assessment with
the whole thing to go over again
like an endless chain.
All of the trouble, Senator
Perry claims can be obviated by
duCUl N1llllCll a . y - - -
ment OF lands, which are mostly
involved in the various reviews,
and which he insists do not ma
terially change in value in four
year period, certainly not suffi-
ciently to cause the trouble and
unrest that now exists with the
annual assessment and frequent
reviews.
Under the proposed plan its
author Says that each state ad-
ministration by fixing the assess
ment of lands at the beginning
for its full tenure in office, would
be in a position to know exactly
the revenues it would derive
from this class of property and
not be compelled to raise the
assessment an effort to scale the
tax rate, often resorted to for
political expediency. He also
claims that such law would re-
quire each state administration
to keep within its income from
the taxes derived and prevent any
fiscal Exiting from one year to
another in order to make a show
ing.
Aside from all of this, it is
claimed that the proposed change
in the present law would be a
real boon to the landow 1ers who
after their lands are assessed and
the valuation once fixed, would
have a rest for three years before
a renewal of the experience, Which
now comes every year and due to
the drawn-out proceedings in in
terminable.
Senator Perry, who has served
at the head OF the Revenue and
Taxation Committees in both
branches of the legislature, has
made a careful study of taxing