The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-12-10
THE TAX PENALTY
To the Daily Ardmoreite:--

To the Daily Ardmoreite:-
In your issue Of Friday. December !
you state that the one dollar penalty
heretofore collected by the county tax
assessor for putting property on the
rolls where the owner failed to render
same. will be paid into the general
| fund. That heretofore the dollar penalty
collected for this service has gone -
tho f.ersoral account OF the tax asses
| sor, that the tax assessor collected ap-
proximately four thousand dollars last
year over and above his regular salary
by adding this one dollar penalty TO as
| sessments
/ have been a tax payer In Ardmore
for Il years. and believe read about
as much as do most people. and during
the primary campaign this last sum.
mer heard that the present tax as
SCISSOR lad been collecting this one do
lar penalty and that was ths first time
that recollect hearing that there was
such law.
Laws are made to restrain and govern
the law volator, and this law CT course
was made to catch tax dodgers" ard
this one dollar penalty was added to
cover the cost Of looking up those
delinquents who, trying to dodge the
assessor, and not for the purpose Of
giving the tax assessor the right tc
fine every honest law abiding tax paw
er, though he comes to the assessors
office and honestly renders his prop.
erty. Just because the taxpayer may
for any cause do this day OF two later
than the assessor has himself set for
him TO come.
Ten years ago I put q house AMI
some ether Improvements en- the lot
on which / now live. l rendered this
property for taxation at a certain val,l-
alton No new Improvements were made
for a period Of eight years nor any
change in the rendering. The assessor
finally told me that it was not necessary
for me TO come to the office TO render
my property any more until l added
. more Improvements, as he would con-
tinue to assess it at the sanle valuation
and / had not done so for several years
until last year. During all this time L
heard nothing about any dollar penalty.
In June, 1922, added some improve
ments TO our dwelling house and be-
cause OF this added value / went 10
the assessors office and rendered my
home at a new and higher valuation
] But alack and alas, the assessor )
2 records show that l did this on tn,
|. sixth OF April when the time set by
g the assessor for me to do this expired
= March 81
: The records show that on March %
I / was suhpoenaed to sit on the petit
Jury IN the district court l served
sixteen days during which time l WAS
a at the court house every day. Had
I. known OF this one dollar penalty law
|. and that / must render my property by
u march 81, surely would have done So
NY ignorance and my technical viola
O ton Of the law cost me a dollar. doubt
:. that prior to the election OF the present
= assessor that there was one person In
a dozen knew that there was such law
, Former assessors had never practicsd
A penalizing every honest taxpayer who
b, technically violated the law By being a
few days late in rendering their prop
e,ty for taxation and putting this one
dollar in their own pocket. ! am glad
:. This law is changed as this present as
= SCISSOR may be tempted 20 continue tC
DO this.
s. ]. woRLEY.
10ll Third avenue, ". E.