Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-08-17
WILL PAY MORE
TAXES IN IOWA
Tax Levy for Iowa Was Set at SIS
Mills Last Friday, an Increase
Ia Mills Over Present Rate.
WILL AVERAGE $4.20
ON 100 ACRE FARM
On Home Assessed for $4,000 Owner
Will Find Taxes for State
Purposes Boosted S1.75.

4
Iowa's state tax levy was set at
S.75 mills for the coming year by
the executive council Friday, an in
crease of Ia mills over the present
rate.
What these figures mean in dol
| lars and cents to the taxpayers OF
the state was explained yesterday
by r. E. Johnson, secretary of the
council. A 160 acre farm of aver
age valuation will pay S4.20 a year
Imore taxes on this account.
To look at the matter in a slightly
different way, 80 cents has been
added to the amount that will be paid
on each 81 900 of assessed valuation.
That is, the man who owns a home
assessed for $4,000, finds his taxes
for state purposes have been boosted
S1.75.
To arrive at the new state levy,
the council assumed that railroads
in the state would pay taxes on the
new valuations of their property as
made recently by the council. The
railroads are now seeking to enjoin
county treasurers from collecting
taxes based on these new valuations.
If they are successful, the state
levy rate may have to be changed
when it is fixed again next year.
The amount to be raised for state
purposes for the coming year was
estimated by the last Legislature at
approximately s10,072,00.O0. The
council figured that the actual ex-
penses for state purposes would not
be more than $10,000,0C0 aud might
be as low as s9,SOO,0Oo.
1t is believed that the legislatures
figures included about 100000 for
possible extra session of the legis-
lature. The council, of which Gov
ernor Kendall is member, did not
believe there would be an extra ses-
sion of the Legislature called. Extra
sessions are called by the governor.
To show that a change in the
rate of the state levy amounts to
little as far as the individual tax
payer is concerned, it was pointed
out Friday that only S.0S8 of each
81 now paid for taxes in Iowa goes
for state purposes.
The problem of the executive coun-
Gil in fixing the new rate for the
state levy was comparatively sins
pie one. Expenses authorized by the,
legislature were known, and the tax
able value of all the pfope-g in
the state was taken from the re-
turns made by the county auditors.
In this connection, it should be
borne in mind that the taxable value
| in Iowa is one-fourth of the assessed
valuation.
An increase of approximately
SO 100000 has been made in the
taxable value of Iowa property since
last year. The present figure for the
state, as taken from the county
auditors returns, is S1,112,9S4, ,S53.
The taxable value of personal pro-
perty has decreased about S11, 1,0OO,-
900 since last year, due largely to
decrease in the value of livestock.
This decrease, however, is nearly
made UP by an increase of approxi-
mately S1O,OO0,O00 in town lots, be-
cause of improvements to property
and new buildings in the past year.
Farm lands show decrease of $780,
900 this year
Express company property has
gone up, telephone, telegraph and
transmission lines show increase oil
$2,300,0O0; while the taxable value
is roughly $9,320,00O higher now
than it was year ago.