Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-07-15
CITY COUNCIL TO
TAKE UP BILL TO
END DARBITRATION
Proposed Changes in
City Tax System Up
Tonight

City Council will meet in regular
session tonight, when a number of
important matters may be discussed.
Among these, it is said, is bill to
be introduced in the Legislature pro-
viding the method under which tax
returns are to be equalized and pre-
scrlbing the method of arbitration to
be pursued. A bill prepared by Rep
resentatives Stephen Pace and E.
Zimmerman was recently submitted
to the municipal authorities for crit
icism, and it was said today that an
agreement upon the provisions of the
measure had been practically reach
ed. The bill as re-drawn after con-
ference provides that the tax assess
ors of the city shall proceed in the
usual manner to equalize the re-
turns of all taxpayers, and that
where changes are made in such re-
turns the taxpayer shall be notified
as under the present law, it is said.
The only real change in the law as
it now stands is contained in the pro-
vision that all tax arbitrations shall
be conducted by the board of tax as
SCISSORS, before whom the aggrieved
taxpayer may appear and state his
or her reasons for opposing any
change ordered by the board These
hearings must be had before the
board within a stated time after the
taxpayer is notified of change hav-
ing been made by the assessors, and
their decision upon the protest is
final Under the existing law the
arbitration of protested tax equaliza-
tions is conducted before board of
three citizens, one named by the city
another by the property owner and a
third, or the umpire, by these two
One advantage claimed for the pro
posed new method of arbitrating re-
turns is that it will be much more
rapid than the present method, and
that it will place future arbftrations
upon scientific basis only. Under
the existing law, it is manifest that
a property owner always names as
his arbitrator some person who will
present his contention in its best
light, while the city's arbitrator will
be as likely to present the side Of
the municipality with an eye single
to maintaining the position of the
assessors, thus putting the final de-
cision upon an umpire who may or
may not be familiar with property
values.
This bill, it is known, has been
brought 70 the knowledge of city
officials, ard it is stated tina; council
may take formal action approving it
tonight, though this has not been
definitely announced. Copies of the
bill are to be furnished for publica-
ton co-incident with its introduction
in the house, it is further stated.
Another matter to be considered
by council tonight is the request of
Chief B. l.. Naylor, of the fire de-
partment, that he be permitted to
attend the annual convention of
American fire chiefs, which will be
held this year at Toronto, Canada.
Chief Naylor asks council for $3.50
for the expense of his trip, the re-
mainder of which he will bear him
self. The request was presented at
the last meeting of council and re-
ferred to a committee, and this com.
mittee, it is expected, will report
thereon tonight. 1t has been Gus
tomary in the past to have Americus
represented at these conventions
but members of the fire committee
have given no indication of their at
titude toward allowing the request OF
Chief Naylor to do likewise.