The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-04-08
Valuation of All
Property Raised

"The State Board of Equalization
has raised the valuation of all real
and personal property in st. Francois
county, as shown by report received
by County Clerk Crowder last Mon
day. The County Board of Eaualiza-
tion is now in session, and as the law
saws that the action of the State
Board is final, the County Board will
have to adjust the valuations accord
ingly. The latter Board will first
equalize the valuations. as far as
practicable, and then the increase as
made by the State Board will be add
ed.
The percentage Of increase on real
estate and personal property will
bring the total valuation Of that class
of property up to 35,93l ,571, an in
crease of about $14,O00,000 over last
wears valuation. To this will be add
ed the valuations Of railroad, tele-
graph and telephone properties, which
will be fixed by the State Board April
26th. and the merchants and manu-
facturer's valuations, which will bring
the total valuations of all property in
this county to approximately $4o'ooo'-
coo.
"The State Constitution limits the
amount of the tax levy, the same be-
ing based on the total assessed valu-
alton of the counties, and the leglsla-
ture has no power to change the same
Owing to the fact, however, that the
valuations of all property in the state
would be increased to approximately
its cash value, the legislature passed
a law limiting the county courts and
other bodies empowered with levying
taxes, to an increase of ten per cent
in the amount of taxes to be raised
for all purposes, except for schools, in
excess of the year previous.
when the total valuation of all
property is ascertained, the county
courts will fix the tax levy. \ This, of
course, will have to be made so that
the increase of taxes will not be more
than ten per cent over last year, ex-.
cepting the levy for school purposes,
which, no doubt, will be greatly in ex-
cess of previous years owing to the
fact that the country schools, espe-
cially, do not have sufficient funds to
meet their requirements.
"The State Board of Equalization,
so we are informed from the daily
papers, first contemplated making a
flat raise of so many dollars per acre
on real estate and fiat raise on all
other property instead Of percentage
increase. But this was found imprac-
ticable as the lands varied so much in
some counties that an increase OF so
many dollars per acre would bring
the valuation eof some classes of land
several times its cash value while
other lands would not be at cash val
ne. So each county was considered
as unit by the State Board, and the
increase in valuations was made up
on percentage basis, the board bas-
ing its estimate upon the report of
the various counties as to. the valua-
tions of all the different properties.
Following is the increases as made
by the State Board: Real estate, 65
per cent; town lots, 85 per cent; hors-
es, 15 per cent; mules, 20 per cent;
asses and jennets, 100 per cent; neat
cattle, ,35 per cent; hogs, so per cent;
money, notes. bonds, mortgages and
other evidences of debt. 100 per cent;
corporate companies, bank stock, 100
per cent; all other personal property,
100 per cent. The valuation of sheep
was decreased 10 per cent, and all
other live stock was not changed.