The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1921-08-02
WHAT JOHN J. REDMON HAS
DONE FOR THE TAXPAYERS
READ THE CORES 1
P0NDENCE

Huout july 10, 1870, Mr.. Leon
Smltn, Assistant to the State Tax
commission, came to the office of the
lax commissioner of Bourbon Co,fu-
W, Kentucky, and said that we had
10 raise all real esate from to 10
cents, and that transfers must be
put In at 80 per cent. of their actual
cost price. / fought this with all
my power because I thought our
people were taxed high enough and
as to transfers, 80 per cent. of the
actual selling price was an injustice,
because If a man paid $500 an acre
Tor a farm I was to take it at $3.50
an acre for taxable purposes. The
man that did not sell right over the
renee was in at 800 to 1925 at the
outside. / told him / would not do
1t. He then said, ST will fire YOU
from the Office" The following let
tiers from the State Tax Commission
er will explain the rest:
STATE TAX COMMISSION
OF KENTUCKY
Frankfort, July %, 1920.
Mr.. Walter Clark,
County Tax Commissioner,
Paris, KY.
Dear Strive are just in receipt
OF letter from our Assistant State
Tax Commissioner, Mr.. Leon Smith.
in which he reports to us that he has
visited you and looked over the wo-k
In Bourbon county in regard to the
assessment of property being made
under your supervision at this time.
1t is only fair to you to say that
Mr.. Smith says that in his opinion
you, personally, are undertaking to
do your duty as County Tax Com
missioner and assess the property as
required under the law, but that
your Deputy, Mr.. Redmon, persists
| in refusing to perform his duties in
complying with the orders and rul-
| ingS of the State Tax Commission 10
have the property assessed at a value
not less than 80 per cent of it's
actual cash value. From the infOr-
| nation obtained we are advised tfat
| MIR. Redmon, who is acting as your
Deputy, refuses to increase a single
person, regardless of what valuation
| the taxpayer places thereon, but in
sists that he was intending to assess
the property on the books just as it
was last year. You can imagine
that we are very much surprised at
the attitude of Mr.. Redmon. He at
tended the conference of the County
Tax Commissioners as being a gen.
tleman who knew his duty, and had
the courage to perform any duties
devolving upon him as an official Of
| this State. Based upon this informa-
ton, some action must be taken in
the matter at once.
We desire to call your attention to
Section 2, Chapter IL, of the Acts Of
1918, which says:
Each County Tax Commissioner
herein provided for may, with the ap-
prevail of the State Tax Commission,
appoint as many sober, discreet,
capable persons not under the age OF
twenty-one years, as deputies to as
sist him to discharge his duties, as
he may deem necessary, and may re-
move them at his pleasure"
If for any reason, political or 9TH
erwise, Mr.. Redmon is not disposed
to do his whole duty on behalf of the
State and the taxpayers of Bourbon
county and assess the property Of
| this county as required by law, you
should not have appointed him as a
Deputy, and if you have so appoint
/ 6u Hill, yOu SQOulu IcIuObc uIul II
once. So far as the records of this
Office show, you have not recommend
ed Mr.. Redmon or any other Deputy
| to assist you in the assessing Of
property of Bourbon county this
year, and this Commission has not ap-
proved the appointment of Mr.. Red
mon, and if our records are correct
we would not approve his appoint
ment under these circumstances. VIII
you please advise this Commission
by return mail whether or not you
have requested the appointment and
approval by this Commission of Mr..
Redmon as such Deputy, and if not,
we must request that he be relieved
from duty until such appointment
has been approved by the Commits
sion as required by law.
Will you please acknowledge re-
ceipt of this letter and advise the
Commission that you have complied
with the requests contained herein
in relieving Mr.. Redmon from duty
as Deputy County Tax Commissioners.
Yours very truly,
| STATE TAX COMMISSION.
By Rainey Wells, Member.
(Copies of letter written to Mr..
Walter Clark by Rainey Wells, Men,
ber.)