Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-05-18
Blue GRASS COUNTIES
TO FIGHT HIGH TAXES
Arbitrary Raises of State Com
mission To Be Resisted
Madison Joins In
The worm has finally decided


3" in taxes from the State Ia
Commission, a number OF cen
tral Kentucky counties have de
cided to go into the courts ant
resist the latest raise ordered.
Madison county was repre-
sented at a meeting of official
of the counties held at Lexfng
ton Wednesday afternoon b,
County Judge John D. Goodloe
County Attorney Joe P. Che
nault, Tax Commissioner W. w
Adams and several others. The
Madison county supervisors add
cd on most of the raise ordered
by the State Tax Commission
but lacked about $250,000 of get,
ting the full amount the state
tax moguls demanded.
The Herald said, in part, ot
the meeting at Lexington:
TO curb, if possible, the arbi-
trary increases levied by tho
state tax commission, sever
county Judges and other officials
met i'll the Office Of County Judge
Z. H. Doak, and following a con
ference lasting several hours, de-
clded TO unite against the com
mission in a test OF the commits
slon's authority, taking the fight
to the courts, if necessary.
Six counties were ented
IN addition to Fayette. all being
from central Kentucky. where, i
IS alleged, the "arbitrary" posi-
ton of the tax commission has
been felt most keenly.
All of the officials at the meet
ing voted to resist the commits
sion in a legal fight if this be
comes necessary, oppose vigor-
ously the action of the commits
sion IN ordering the county
Judges to reconvene their boards
OF tax supervisors and increase
the county valuations to con
form with the figures fixed by
the commission.
In addition to County Judge
Z. II. Doak, who presided, coun-
ty Judges present were: ]. D.
Goodloe. Of Madison county: T.
B. Ward, Of Scott county; r. S.
Scobee, Of Clark county; z. T.
Pollard, of Shelby county; G. NJ.
Treadway, OF Garrard county.
and NJ. {. Minor, Of Boyle cou.r-
ty. ]. P. Chenault, county attor-
ney of Madison county, acted as
secretary.
Following the meeting it was
announced that at least fifteen
other county Judges had irdicat-
ed their intentions OF joining in
tight against the tax commission.
\ statement issued by the
Judges following the conference
said in part: After full discus
sion OF the individual situations
IN respective counties it was the
consensus OF opinion Of all pres
ent that the interests Of the pub
lie generally demands that steps
be taken to curb, if possible, the
increasing and arbitrary increas-
es levied by the state tax COM
mission"
Jugde Doak was named as the
representative OF the judges 20
take such steps as should be nee
essary to institute tie proper az
ton against the commission,
should it attempt to force the
Judges to reconvene the county
boards of equalization.
At the close of the meeting ii
was announced that a meeting
of county attorneys from the
seven counties represented will
be held Monday afternoon in the
Office of Judge Doak at 2 o'clocl;
to investigate the legal situation
presented, to determine the
course to be pursu 4 and to EN-
ploy counsel to assis5 in the pros
ecution Of the case if it be nee
essary.
The meeting began at 2 o'clock
Wednesday afternoon, following
the return of Judge Doak from
Frankfort where he appeared be-
fore the tax commission on Z
call from the chairman Rainey
T. Wells, to show cause why the
1eassessment cf Fayette should
rot be ordered. Mr.. Wells was
i'll and unable to attend the hear
ing, but Judge Doak submitted
a written report of his view Of
the situation, which was taker
under advisement by the com,
mission.
The concerted action of tht
county judges represents tht
FIRST extensive attempt to fgh
the decisions of the tax commits
sion. While protests against tt,