Evening star., 1922-05-16
How to Compare the
Tax Burdens of Cities

, to assessed valuation of taxable prop
erty when full valuation 10 command
ed by law? Or by joining tax-rate to
full valuation Of taxable property, as
reported. estimated. or guessed by
Tom, n4ck ana Harry. officially or un-
Shall we disregard the real measure
of tax-burdens. the total and per
capita tax-levy, commended as ac-
| curate by the census authorities. and
| rely upon this confessedly grossly mis-
leading standard of measurement?
Certain sample cities of Florida,
Mississippi, Texas and Kentucky have
been cited as two or three times as
heavily taxed as Washington. because
ment their tax-rates were two or
three times as large as that of the
| District.
But II this standard of measure
| ment is accurate and these cities are
really taxed two or three times as
| taxed two or three times as much as
| all Ohio cities. including Cleveland
| and Cincinnati; all Rhode Island
| cities. including Providence; and all
| Virginia cities. including Richmond
For all these cities have, like Wash
ington, a low tax rate and high
] standard of assessment.
] = y n
If the tax-rate yardstick Of meas
urement establishes that in compari-
| son with these cities Of Florida, Mis-
sissippi. Texas and Kentucky WASH
ington is only half taxed 1t proves
| also that every one of the Ohio cities
J fourteen), every city in Virginia
| (five), and every city in Rhode Island
! (fourteen). are only half taxed. 1t
| proves that the taxes paid in Mem
! phis, Dallas. Louisville and Jackson
vile are about twice as much as
those paid in Cincinnati. Cleveland.
| Providence and Richmond.
But II this yardstick of measure
ment Is not faulty 1t not only proves
that the cities OF Ohio. Virginia.
Rhode Island and the District of Co
lumbia are less than half taxed In
| comparison with cities in Florida,
Mississippi, Texas and Kentucky, but
it proves also that the latter high.
! taxed or one-third taxed. when COM
pared with some cities in Illinois,
Iowa and Nebraska.
| II this yardstick Of measurement IL
leading. Cincinnati and Cleveland
| with tax rates of $3.50 bear one-half
| as heavy a tax burden as Louisville,
Memphis and Dallas, which approx
mate $50. and one-sixth or one-seventh
as much as such cities as Joliet.
| Rapids. $91.9s; Council Bluffs. 5000;
Lincoln, s106.3S, and Omaha. $106.2s.
Who believes for q moment that
these tax-rate figures measure the
comparative tax-burdeAs Of these
| citiess
| who places any confidence In the
| huctuating sfull valuation" yardstick
which IL not of the same length in
| any two states, or even in both cities
| and counties Of the sanAe state, and
which when applied in practice pro-
duces the preposterous results above
renorted3 A false premise II relied
upon and q false conclusion as In
evitable.
Morals You cannot breed truth
and reliability by crossing tax rate.
with lies or widely yaryinE toea, J,
Heredity taints with falsity and per-
meates with deception every atom Of
the offspring of such parents.
There follows a table showing the
cities which pay very large tax rates
| on local assessments and. the Glitch
which pay very small tax rates on
| high assessments.
LARGE AND SMALL TAX RATES
(From Census Bulletin 1918. Table 3e)
LOW TAX RATES CUNDER 500
| WITH HIGH ASSESSMENTS
| Massachusetts cities: Brookline.
$3.50 Getty, $10.sD: Boston. 1870
!st !sity;; s15'as'; Springfield $3.50 ec'ty'
mi M'eh!Fss;; .gs g., Grand Rapids 1890
New Hampshire: Manchester, 1886
Some New York cities: Lowest.
Niagara Falls. s15.5s Getty. s1o.5D:
Al ohio cities: Akron, e $3.50 6cisy: aty
Cincinnati. $3.50 Getty. ;l5;o5j:
bus, ;14 Getty. sIo.4s); Dayton. $3.50
lcity, $1o.s7); Hamilton. S14.60 Getty.
$1o.s5); LIMA. $3.50 q Seity' ssI 1859; - !;
sis.so so tcity. s1i.s21: Toledo. 1857
| (city, $11.99); Youngstown. $14.42
tcity. .1o.s2); GAINESVILLE, s17.so Getty.
'lss;sas; some penn.ylvania cities: ~phi.a-
| delphia, 1881: Johnstown, s1a5s:
Lancaster, sls.s1 Getty, $16).
/ All Rhode Island citiesrNewport,
$11.S6 (city, $10.66); Pawtucket, 1861
(city, 15.77); Providence, $15.06 Getty,
s1s.Ss}; Woonsocket' s1s.12 <city'
All Virginia citiss-Lynchburg:
| jcity. $15.75); Portsmouth,. 1883
1city, 17.37); Richmond. 1852 (city.
| $13lD; Roanoke, $16.0S (city. $14.06).
West virginia17!Charleston, $1S.S5
; :l;S' wls:'ss "sfsss'isss 'isse ''ss: tss
wisconsin cities-Green Bay. sle:ss
(city Sl2.6s): Kenosha. SIS Getty.
$3.50; Madison. 81 Getty; $il;s5);
Milwaukee. 1880 Getty; S1s.s9; ECs s 0sh-
s1S6s (city. $12).
BIG TAX RATES (OvER $500 WITH
Low ASSESSMENTS.
All California cities except San
Francisco-Highest, San Diego. 1850.
Pueblo, Colo, $30.10.
Jaeksonvills. Fla, s4s.52; Tampa.
Georgia cities. except Atlanta.
| Boise, Idaho, $31.s1.
cago, $62.76: Danville, $72:54: Decatur.
$3.50; East st. Louis. $3.50; Joliet.
S94,80; Peoria, $6S.40; Quincy. $50. 10;
rockford, 62.34; Springfield, $3.50.
| Indiana-Highest are East Chtca-
go; $3.50: Gary; cy,;;,sssEaiehe,t, ss1:ga9j Cedar
Rapids, 'ssi.ss: Council Bluffs. sso.os;
Minneapolis. MINI, $500.
Most Missouri cities except st.
Lincoln. Neb.. s1os.ss: Omaha.
Some New York cities-Hishest.
/ South Carolina-Charleston. $56.67;