The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-03-10
CUT PUTS DUCATS IN PEG
PIES POCKETS
Reduction Testifies To Excellent
Management of Commonwealth
Affairs; Figures Compiled BY
Auditor. r. p. Chase; Blue
Earth County Makes More
Earth County Adds More Than
Million Dollars To Fund.

nearly 81 10000 less taxes this year
than they did in 1921. To be specific,
taxes levied on the basis of the 1921
property valuation and collectable
this year, total $115,s1S,SS7.03 as
against $116,72O, 461 .05 for the pre-
vious year. This is a difference of
1901. 5S4 90 in favor of the tax pay
ers of the state.
Blue Earth county's contribution to
this tax collection, including the sta
tutory three mill tax on credits or
moneys, will be S1,321,6 25. 80. The
average rate Of taxation for the
county, exclusive Of special assess
ments. is 42.SS mills. This covers all
sources of taxation.
The taxable valuation on which
this reduced levy is made is $2,452,.
53S, 549, and here also decrease is
noted. This decrease approxiInates
SIS, 100000 and is explained in larg-
er. part by the omission OF motor
vehicles from the personal property
valuation. Heretofore such were
valued and taxed the same as other
personal property, but now they are
part of the good roads revenue of
the state and are so listed.
Figures Compiled 6y Chase
Figures compiled by r. P. Chase,
state auditor, covering tax levies for
the past two years, their distribution
and the valuation on which they are
based have just been made public
and their study is of vital interest to
the taxpayers Of the state. They
are most enlightening since they de-
monstrate beyond contradiction the
source of the tax burdens and where
relief may be obtained il desired.
Briefly the compilation shows:
The taxes levied:
State ........ 81, SEQ. s24 .0S $s,s2s, 551. 81
County .;.;;;;;.. 24.s15,7ss.42 24,sso. AL. IL
Iasss anu w. 1854 sa5 .2s s2.s4s,s5 81
School Districts sSS,,isi.ssi oS ss.isS. SIS. IS
Total -. Sis, 72s, 4s1 .o3 31l5,sls, SIT .O8
The taxable valuation: ,,.,
Real Estate .$1,751. SIS, 1s7 $1.757, $50. 1886
ns5sy .; :;.si; sss rs
Total ....... ..2.52s, s7s, 1888 ,2,4s2.5ss.5 $40
Where Levies Are
The dominating feature of the 1921
tax levy, and which as explained Is
collectable this year, is the state In
ulcIlOHs I1CIC 1883 lu0u yStUvptVvV
is demanded, a cut Of nearly 5000
600 when compared with the stale
levy for the year previous. In sharp
contrast are the levies for school
districts, cities and villages and for
county purposes. These levies are
all local in nature and as such are
subject to local control and regula-
ton.
To explain, the present state levies
are wholly statutory and without in
reference by any state official or
authority aside from the legislature
and include such statutory items as
soldiers relief fund, state road and
bridge, university building fund and
the state school tax of one and TWEEN
ty- three hundredths mills, which is
of venerable age.
the only State infiction over
which there is official control is the
time honored one for state revenue
purposes and this the present state
auditor, invoking an official prero-
gative, omitted in his certifcation
of the state tax rate to the various
county auditors last September. To
a large extent the omission OF this
particular tax, which was the hrst
and only action of its kind ever TAX
en- in the history Of the department,
is largely responsible for the reduc-
ton noted.
AS to local infections, that of the
levy for school districts is consider
ably in advance of the previous year.
The one other increase is in the case
Of the township levy.