The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1922-03-09
STATE TAXES SHOW
DECREASE IN 1921
STEARNS COUNTY'S RATIO IS
45.4O MILLS EXCLUSIVE OF
SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
TOTAL LEVY OF $ll5,Sl8,S77
STATE AUUITOR CHASE MAKES
INTERESTING STATEMENT
TAXES ARE HEAVY


Minnesota taxpayers will pay
nearly 100000 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,-
01S,S77.03 as against SIG, 72O,461.-
O3 for the previous year. This is a
difference of 1901, 5s4.OO in favor Of
the taxpayers of the state.
Stearns County's contribution to
this tax collection, including the sta
tutory three mill tax on credits or
moneys, will be $1,653,363.85. The
average rate of taxation for the
county, exclusive of special assess
ments is 45.40 mills. This covers all
sources of taxation.
The taxable valuation on which
this reduced levy is made is $2,452,-
539, $40. and here also a decrease is
noted. This decrease approximates
SIS, 100000 and is explained in lar
ger part by the omission Of motor
vehicles from the personal property
valuation. Heretofore such were val
ued and taxed the same as other per-
sonal property, but now they are a
part of the good roads revenue of the
state and are SO listed.
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 demon
strate beyond contradiction the
source of the tax burdens and where
relief may be obtained if desired.
Briefly the compilation shows:
Taxes Levied.
1920 1921
State 11,560,92408 8,829,551.87
County 24,915,73S.42 "a, 680,431.72
Cities and Villages
33,364,925.2s 32,S42,65S.57
Townships
s,744,17s.2o s,sss,2e4ss
Cchool Districts
s7,1S4,6s4.Oe ss,4s2,ses.ss
Total 6,720,461.O3 115,818,877.03
Taxable Valuation.
1920 1921
Real Estate
1,751,553,167. 1,757,560,ss6.
Personal Property
sss,7ss,so2. 2ss,2as,s14.
Money or Credits
443,092,s69. 425, 745,839.
Total 2,52S,379,83S. 2,452,539,549-
d. The dominating feature of the
1921 tax levy and which as explained
is collectable this year, is the state
infection. Here less than 100000
is demanded, cut Of nearly $3,000,-
600 when compared with the state
levy for the year previous. In sharp
contrast are the levies for school dis
tricts, cities and villages and for
county purposes. These levies aree
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 Legislatures
and include such statutory items as
Soldiers Relief Fund, State Road and
Bridge, University Building Fund and
the State School Tax of one and
twenty-three hundredths mills, which
is of venerable age.
The only state infection over which
there is official control is the time
honored one for state revenue pur-
poses and this the present state audi
tor, invoking an official prerogative,
omitted in his certifcation Of the
state tax rate to the various county
auditors last September. To large
extent the omission of this particular
tax, which was the first and only ac-
ton of its kind ever taken in the his
tory of the department, is largely res
ponsible for the reduction 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.
Hon. T. j. Flahaven of Getty town.
ship who has represented this, the
First of the 46th Senatorial district
in the lower house of the Minnesota
Legislature for the past two sessions,
filed for reelection Wednesday of
this week. There are two other Ill
ings for the place held by Mr.. Fla
haven. John j. Winter OF Spring