The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-08-28
CITY PROPERTY
VALUE BOOSTED
BY YSTATEB0ARD
Bismarck Business Property
Valuation Increased by
Twenty Per Cent
SLIGHT FARM DECREASE
Railroad Valuation Is Also Low
cred Two Million Dollars
by State Board

Charges in valuations Of city
property. railroad property and farm
lands were announced today by the
state board of equalization. Briefly,
they are: .......
Valuation of property for busi-
ness purposes in eight Of largest
cities in state increased from ten
to forty per cent.
Bismarck valuation of property
used for business purposes in
creased 20 per cent
Railroad valuation decreased
from $21S,OO0,O00 to $216,0 6,000.O000.
} Farm lands decreased on aver
age of about three per cent.
Farm land valuations in Bur-
leigh county not changed.
The work Of the state board is not
entirely completed. Members of the
bUrd, of which Governor Frazier IS
ex officio chairman, have been con-
sidering valuations as returned by
county boards of equalization for sew
eral days. .s... .r
Heavy on Some Cities
The action of the board is making
the heavy increases in city porperty
valuation in picked cities was not ex-
pected, and was not done by unani-
nous action.
The decrease on farm lands was not
as large as was expected, in view
Of the complaints made of representa-
tives of nearly every county in the
state at recent meeting against tho
present high taxes and valuations.
The total valuation of farm lands
is decreased $4,000 ,034.00, from ST.
072,653.O0 in 1919 to $1,036. 6.163, $4,000
for 1920.
Rail Valuation Decreased
The railroad valuation is decreased
from $21S,653,357 to $216,214,995.
Valuations of property for resi-
dence purposes was not changed. it
was announced.
The cities in which the heavy in
creases over county board figures
were made are: Grand Forks, 40
per cent; Minot, 25 per cent; Fargo.
40 per cent; Jamestown, Is per cent;
Valley City, IS per cent; Bismarck,
20 per cent; Mandan. 30 per cent:
Dickinson, 10 per cent
The total increases on structures
and improvements Of town and city
lots used for business purposes in
these cities is increased from $13.-
0G5,630 to $16,225,719.
Olson's Opposition
State Treasurer Obert Olson, a
member of the board, opposed this
method of increasing city valuations
He held that it was not fair to sin
gle out certain cities, and advocated
an increase Of something like 20 per
cent in the first Congressional dis
trict, and II 1-2 per cent in the sec
ond and leaving the third district un-
changed.
The valuation of property in Bis
marck for business purposes was
placed at $1,070,S08 by the county
board and under the increase of the
state board taxes will be paid on a
valuation of $1,284,969 Mandan's
valuation was fixed at $515,525 by
the county board and is increased to
S67O,1S2 by the state board. Dickin-
sons valuation was fixed at. $546,621
by the county board and is increased
to $6O1,2S3 by the state board
The exact figures on the railroad
valuation follow: 1919 assessment on
S21S,563,357 valuation; 1920, on $216,-
214,995 valuation.
The Great Northern valuation Of
$S6,603,330 was unchanged while the
Northern Pacific valuation Of $82,-
004, ,2S1 in 1919 was decreased to $780,
350, 1000. The 500 line valuation OF
$37,415,S36 was unchanged.
Continued on Page Three)