Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-07-29
DISCRIMINATION
BYCOUNTYBOARD
is CHARGE MADE
No Distinction Made,
Says Chairman Frank
Wilson

Americus taxpayers, who complain
that they have not been treated al
together fairly in the matter of
equalizing tax values by the county
board of tax assessors, have called
a mass meeting for Friday night
at o'clock in the council chamber
of the city hall building. A notice
appears in this edition of The Times
Recorder.
A Square deal" is what the
complaining taxpayers say they want,
and this they intimate has not been
given them, it being asserted that
farm lands have been passed by the
board of assessors at from 10 to 20
per cent of their real value, while
city property has been raised by the
assessors, Notwithstanding this class
of property already pays on from
40 to go per cent of it's real worth.
The additional burdens of city tax
alton, the complaining taxpayers as
sert, should be taken into considera-
tion by the county assessors, it be-
ing true that city property which en-
joys the benefits of paved sidewalks
and streets pays for these privileges
in the form of special taxes, where
as the county roads are being paved
with bonds which must be paid out
of taxes paid by the entire county
property, city and county alike.
One of the complainants, a well
known citizen, discussing the situ-
alton today, said:
OF Vital Interest.
"This is a matter that appears to
me to be of vital interest to the tax
I payers of Americas. / as tax pay
er, have been served with notice by
4 the county tax assessors, that my
taxes on my resident property in
Americas has been raised to the val
uation placed on it by the city as
SCISSORS. I am informed by other
) tax payers in the city that they have
received similar notice, and to those
, who may not have received such no.
, tice, they may yet get the little
printed notice,
81 do net ask any taavors of the
), county assessors, but | do ask a
square deal for those who in this
event may be SO unfortunate as to
live within the city limits OF Amerl-
Gus.
ut appears to me that the board
of assessors should have the neces-
sary qualifications to assess the city
; property without taking the city rec
ords for their guidance in many in
stances and perhaps in the majority
of such, as | am informed that they
have consulted the city return reg
; ularly since they have been in ses-
sion.
eve have many reasons for using
a higher rate in the city, for the
many demands we are put to in such
expense as keeping up all depart
ments of the city as well as our bond
ed indebtedness which we must pay
as citizens of Americas and not as
those living in the country
City Valuations Higher.
"Aside from these facts and con-
: ditions, if | am correctly informed,
our valuation as now being estab-
lished by the county commissioners
is much more than that of the av-
erage tax payer in the county.
happen to know of several cases
} which show a discrepancy of not less
than from so to 100 per cent in
8 favor of the tax payer in the coun-
One case where a farmer sold his
place for about 100000 is assessed
at less than $4,000. Other farms
assessed at much less than $4,000
could not be purchased for thar
$4,000 or $4,000. | have no criti-
: cism for the valuation of the coun-
try property, provided the city prop
! erty is assessed on the same basis.
: az claim that for the reason that
property may be located in the city
limits give no right to the assessors
to give it a higher market value
: than property located in the country.
| think the town man should pay on
the same basis as the country man
: and that the country man should pay
on the same basis as the town man.
also claim that the city record as
> established by city assessors is no
: criterion for the county assessors TO
: follow. They should back their own
Judgment and place the same scale
= of values on city property as they
: do on country property.
eve are to meet deficit In our
? school fund and our valuation is TO
: be increased again to meet this
y emergency. Then if the county as
) SCISSORS follow their present plan, our
e county taxes will be raised again
next year.
81 believe in higher valuations,
which tend to lower the tax rate,
\ but let these valuations apply to ev-
] cry citizen in the county alike. Raise
the county valuation as you do the
k city and you will not have many
e complaints from the people.
C "The larger part of the taxes is
: paid at present by city taxes, yet
most of this money is spent on good
roads outside the city limits. We
o make no complaint of this, but if
: anybody is benefited by this expendi-
ture it is the farmers"
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