South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-09
ST. Joseph County Board of Tax ReuieuU De1es State Body
TAKES FIRM STAND
AGAINST RAISING
TAX ASSESSMENTS
Refuse to Increase Appraisals
State Commission Nav
Override Board.

AAaAN AftAAiAAiA ~NitAA VIA
Override Board.
The ST. Joseph county board ~
tax review Tuesday morning hurled
.ts def a. the state board % tax
commissioner
The body has emphaticauy taken
the stand that assessments az land
values IN South Bend are true and
accurate and has refused 70 increase
them as ordered by the state board.
This decision will be forwarded 20
the state tax board, and the next
step Il up 20 the state body.
Whether the state tax board VIII
enforce its demands by ordering
blanket increase Of S45O0.000 on
the assessment or all s. Joseph
county property as is its power. or
viii let the county board o. reviews
decision stand, remains problems-
teal
Ordered Increases.
In an order received from the
state tax commissioner by mali.
Saturday morning, 81 was ordered
that the county board OF review
meet Immediately and take the fol-
lowing increases IN assessments:
Twenty per cent on all farming
implements in the county.
Fifty per cent on all sheep In the
county
twenty-five per cent on all sows
in the county
Eleven per cent on all land, lots
and improvements IN the city 81
South Bend, or TN other words. re-
storing the assessment 20 the dr-
ure determined by the township as
SCISSOR before the county board Of
review cut that assessment 10 per
cent.
Commission Wrong?
The finding, as communicated 70
the state tax commission. was that
the boards assessment OF lands. lots
and Improvements was the true and
fair as5essm ent OF such property IN
the city OF South Bend and that no
Increase should be made. II fur
Their stated that the assessment
placed on sheep and sows In the
county was fair and that no .n-
crease should be made. With re-
gard TO the demand for a % per
cent increase on all farming Inn
plements in the county. the board
o. review increased the assessment
% farming implements in the coun-
~. the board OF review increased
the assessment of farming nipple
ments IN Madison township 100 per
cent over the hgure determined by
the Madison township assessor. bur
mode no other changes. holding
that farming implements through
the county are now assessed az an
average Of 1929 each. a figure roa-
sonably high.
The board OF review held that
the tax com mission was IN error iu
ordering restoration n township as
SCISSORS assessment on land lots
and improvements r. South Bend
inasmuch as the board or review did
not reduce the assessment on inn
provements but only on land The
assessment Of land In South Bend.
as determined by Township Asses
sor Joseph VoOrde for this year was
S45,000.0OO as against t36.378.e29
last year The board or review re-
duced this assessment 10 per cent
or S45O0.00O. and the tax commits
sion's order was 20 restore the as
sessment TO the Voorde figure of
s45.0OO.O0O.
Raise Assessments.
Township Assessor Voorde's as
sessment OF Improvements in South
Bend was ss2.0OO.0O0 this year as
against S39. 654.7sO last year. and
the board OF review EFT this figure
unchanged The county board o.
review assessment though S45oa.-
600 less than that Of Township Az
SCISSOR VOorde for South Bend
creased assessed valuatlous ah.I.
S6.500.000 and a hslf over a--
years assessment
The state tax commission has uo
power 70 order Increases 90 assess
ment Of South Bend property now
that the board % review ha6 Pa cd
20 carry out the commI ssIon.s order.
hui = has the power 70 increase me
assessment FOR the entire county T.
e detern mes 90 enforce its order
over the head Of the county board
D. Will mean the states asseesuen
Of property be = Joseph county VIII
be S4500OO0 more than the c0un-
tvs own assessment figures. and al
so that the portion OF revenue The
state would receive from taxes on
this s45O0.0O0 o. assessed vaIua-
tons viii be raised not from land
.r South Bend bur from all property
IN the county
Point Of Conflict.
The conflict between the county
board OF review ard ne state FAX
commission is a result % The az
temp or the state taxing body 20
sQualize assessments throughout
the state By directing the county
beard o. review 90 iucrease the a.
sossrneut OF South Bend land va.ues
holds that 'ar5 values here a-s
assessed a. low value than Else
where IN the state.
The county board % review has
refused % carry ont the s.ats
boards order because IL holds tnat
values here have been equally A.
sessed. and the facr that there has
been en- increase % S6.50O.0O0 over
last years values Is held as the
best evidence that property values
n South Bend are being fully az