Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-08-01
CITY TAXPAYERS.
WILL TAKE FIGHT.
TOCOUNTYBOARD.
To Resort to Court if
Equalizers Stand,
They Say

The county commissioners, at their
regular meeting on Tuesday of this
week, will be asked by joint COM
mittee representing a citizens mass
meeting, the city council and the
Chamber of Commerce, to undo part
of the work of the board of equal-'
izers for this year, which has been
practically completed, and order the
equalizers to proceed on a different
basis which will actually equallze
values for. assessment.
The board tf commissioners will
also be asked to enter into an agree
ment with the city to have performed
regularly in the city certain
amount of work by the county forces,
since the city pays more than half of
the taxes of the county of Sumter and
receives no direct benefit whatever
inside the city limits.
The board of commissioners Will
also be asked what it intends to do in
the matter of fulfilling its promise,
made during the paving bond election
campaign, in which the members COM
mitted themselves to pave to the
courthouse on each project, doing the
work at its own expense inside the
city limits to which the federal aid
does not apply.
This program is the result of a
meeting of citizens at the city hall
Friday night, at which inequalities of
property values in the city and the
county were discussed and roundly
scored by some speakers.
On motion the meeting instructed
the chairman to appoint committee
of three men to represent 1T before
the commissioners and to request the
Chamber of CONNER and the city
council to do likewise. The commit
tee from the meeting as named by
Chairman c. j. Clark is composed OF
w. M. Jones, A. G. Crockett and u.
L. Williams. This committee waited
upon Mayor Sheppard yesterday, who
expressed himself as in accord with
the movement to reach an under,
standing with the county, and named
a committee from council, composed
of City Attorney W. T. Lane, d.
B. Mashburn and R. E. Allison A
like committee from the Chamber OF
Commerce was also appointed by
President Carr Glover, but their
names were withheld until receipt OF
acceptance, except that of Frank
Sheffield, who stated that he would
serve. &2
May Go to Court.
It was the sense of the meeting
that if the county board failed to
comply with the request of the joint
committee steps be taken in court to
obtain an Injunction to pre-
vent the levies of the coun-
tv equalizers being put into
effect ani that a test be made
of their method of arriving at taxa
tion values. 1t was stated by Craw-
ford Wheatley, who assisted IN put
ting the present tax equalization law
through the Legislature as member
of that body, that there was no ques-
ton that the board is not following
the spirit of the law, and also there
was no question about it being vuI-
nerable to legal attack. -,
That the committee will meet with
no success in reOpenlng the work Oh
the board of equalizers, however, was
indicated yesterday about the court
house when it developed that the tax
board had practically completed its
task. having finished the white list
entirely, and that the books are now
due in Atlanta, the tax receiver be-
ing required by law to have them in
the hands of the state tax commits
sioner by August l. 1t was SAID that
Tax Receiver Jones had received
special permit for a short delay IN
getting his records to the state cap
ital. Because of these facts, 1t IS
regarded as certain that the county
hoard will take no action that will
) hold back closing of the records at
once. -, .-,-
That court action will certainly
follow is indicated by the fact that
the meeting, 1ust before adjourn4
ment Friday night, voted to make the
organization permanent. Several OF
those present declared themselves
ready to furnish money to fight the
case through the courts if necessary.
c. J. Clark Presides
Thirtv-five men attended the meet
inc G. ] Clark was chosen chairman
and Lovelace Eve asked to record the
minutes. Mr.. Clark declared that Am
ericus had been asleep all these years
and nernitted the county to pile upon
her a greater and still greater share
of the tax burden of the entire coun-
tv until it could not grow
any further he sai4 II
was unprofitable to build or
own property in Americas because
of taxes.
A. G. Crockett detailed visit to
the board If equalizers, in which he
was accompanied by Mr.. Clark. He
declared in reply to an interview pup
lished in part heretofore, TO snow IN
day, that he had not been treatgd
with proper courtesy as a cltlzen. ne
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