The Raymer enterprise., 1923-09-06
Weld ATTEMPTS
TO DODGE TAX,
BOULDER AYERS
Assessor Jones Predicts That Bed
ford's Reduction Of County valua-
tions viii Result in Tax Commis-
sion Contest.

ford's Reduction Of County valua-
tons viii Result in Tax Commits.
sion Contest.
That County Assessor Homer r.
Bedford started something" when
he kept his election pledge and
slashed Weld county valuations more
than $s.oo0,o00 is indicated by ex-
cited comment Of newspapers in
neighboring counties.
Newspapers published in Boulder
and Longmont in Boulder county
where valuations were increased, de-
vote much space on their front pages
to the Weld assessors action.
After stating that "The state tax
commission. created for the purpose
OF equalising valuations, will have to
90 to the mat with Weld county this
fall or make a reduction in the as
sessed valuation Of Boulder county
as returned by Assessor John NJ.
Jones'" the Boulder Camera quotes
Jones, the Boulder county assessor.
as follows:
"You will never see low taxes.
High taxes have come to stay and
peolple might as well realize this
now. We demand the best in the
way Of school necessities and luxu-
ries, We want paving, better dirt
roads and other things. and having
voted them. must pay for them"
The Camera continues: "Mr. Jones
stated that valuations could be low
cred. but lower valuations will mean
higher tax levies. so It would be q
case of nothing gained. The state
ments were made by Assessor Jones
when told Of the action Of the Weld
county commissioners in slashing val
ations.
"Mr. Jones stated that the value
Of the state tax commission would be
determined by its action In regard
to Weld county. II the slash Of
100000 valuation is allowed to
Standard Bedford was elected as
SCISSOR Of Weld county on q platform
OF that kind-then Boulder county
and perhaps every other county in
the state would make similar cuts
next year and utterly disregard the
tax commission.
Assessor Jones plans to meet with
the state tax commission as soon as
he secures the abstract Of the Weld
county assessment. II the Weld
county cuts are accepted, Boulder
county will pay more state tax than
1t should proportionately. II the cut
is allowed, the university-which is
supported by state tax-will suffer.
Last year the state valuation de-
creased $40, ,000, ,000."
The Longmont Times predicts that
Weld county will fail to maintain its
reduced valuations. It also declares
that Weld county irrigated land is
fully as valuable as Boulder county
irrigated land. Both the Longmont
and the Boulder papers accuse Weld
county Of attmpting to dodge 1 Is
share Of the state. taxes by the slash
in valuation.
That Bedford will have support in
Weld county is indicated by the COM
ment here. e. R. Bliss, president Of
the Weld County Taxpayers league,
/ said: 1T we have got to fight for
>tair valuations, this is a good year
for us to start something because we
could hardly have a stronger case"
Inquiries at local resl estate offlces
show that 1t is impossible to sell the
average dry farm at even approx
mately the $11.32 an acre price for
which non-irrigated farming land Is
still assessed in Weld. Recently irri-
gated land near Greeley with water
has sold at $s4 an acre at q widely
advertised auction.
Real estate men point out that
while the best irrigated land in Weld
is as productive as the best irrigated
land in Boulder county, there 10 q
large mass OF partly developed irri-
gated land in Weld county which
should reduce the average valuation
considerably below that in Boulder
county.-Greeley Tribune.
-O