The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-10-26
VALUATION OF
BISMARCK IS
GIVEN BOOST
Gross Inequalities in Original
Assessment Have Been
Disclosed
MANY CHANGES MADE
County Commissioners Will
Meet November 4 to Hear
All Grievances
MANY CHANGES MADE

The reasSessment of the city OF
Bismarck, which was ordered several
weeks ago by State Tax Commission
er T. II. H. Thoresen. has been COM
pleted and the record of the assess
ment was certified to County Audi
tor Frank J. johnson of Burlcigh
county today. The county commits
sioners will meet in special session at
the court house on Wednesday, No
vember 4, Immediately following their
regular November meeting, to equal
ize the property reassessed and to
hear all grievances and complaints
in regard to the reassessment. County
Auditor Johnson has prepared a
notice Of the special meeting of the
commissioners and this was publish
ed today.
The special assessment was made
without any expense whatever to the
city of Bismarck, according to Tax
Commissioner Thoresen, and was
made with but one object in view,
that Of securing an equitable assess
ment in the cj-y and the laying Of a
proper foundation for equitable as
sessments in the future. While it is
believed that there are similar in
cqualities in the assessments Of many
other cities and villages of the state,
Bismarck was selected for the reas-
sessment because the officials of the
state tax department were here and
could personally supervise the work.
The reassessment, Mr.. Thoresen says,
was made by entirely disinterested
parties and by men who are thor
oughly familiar with work of this
kind, since they devote their entire
time to it. The assessors are also ex-
perienced lumber men and contrac-
tors and were therefore able to deter
mine the true value of all buildings.
Every building in the city has been
measured and minutelv examined as
to construction and finish, the COM
missioner states, thus giving the as
SCISSORS knowledge Of their exact
value and worth.
The Methods Followed
'The special assessor, in valuing
business and residence structures"
says statement issued by Tax Com
missioner Thoresen. "has followed
the system of valuation in effect in
a number of the larger cities of the
country. Structures were classified
according to the type and materials
of construction. and all structures Of
the same class were valued at the
same rate per cubic foot, the valua-
alton being based on che average ex-
perience as to the cost of construc-
tion of such type of building per
cubic foot of contents. In determin-
ing present values it was, of course,
necessary to take into account the age
Of the structure and the deprecated
value of the same.
"The total valuation of the city,
as reassessed, has been increased
slightly. Approximately $4,000 of
property which had escaped taxation
has been added to the assessment
roll. In making the reassessment it
was found that the original assess
ment was made at considerably less
than the true and full value of
the property assessed. In view of the
fact that the equalization of all other
cities had been completed for the
year 1925, no attempt was made to
increase the total assessment above
the average rate of valuation found to
have been used in the original as
sessment. As compared with the as
sessment of Bismarck as left by the
1925 State Board of Equalization, the
reassessment shows the following
changes:
Residence structures have been
decreased $134.575.00.
Business structures have been
increased $368,475.00.
"Stocks of goods and merchandise,
and other items of personal property
included in the reassessment order
have been increased S32,22O.00.
Inequalities Disclosed
"The reassessment disclosed a
number of instances of gross in
equality in the original assessment.
The primary object of the reassess-
ment was to do away with or remedy
this condition. The reassessment dis
closed the fact that in great
majority Of instances the cheaper
types of residence structures. struc-
lures without modern improve
ments. were overvalued as COM
pared with the average modern resi-
dence. The assessment of moder-
ately priced, modern residences on
the whole was on fairly equitable
basis. The assessment of the better
or higher priced, large modern resi-
dences was bad. Many instances of
gross inequality and gross under
valuation were disclosed. The re-
assessment disclosed that the assess
ment of business structures was at
a smaller percentage of true and full
value than the assessment of resi-
dence structures. The assessment Of
business structures was increased
$368,475. Most of this increase was
made on account of previous low val
uation of some of the large business
structures. The valuation of one bus
mess structure was increased from
S2.5OO to $4,000. Still another from
$4,000 to $4,000. It was found In
a number Of such cases that on a
most conservative valuation basis