Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-06-03
Division Of
Local Taxes
BY RAY r. CHASE
State Auditor of Minnesota.

Excessive taxes are a menace
to every property owner.
Whether or not taxes in Min
nesota are too high in proportion
to the benefits received from the
money expended, whether or not
they are too high from the stand
point Of the property owners
ability to pay, are questions af-
fecting the welfare of every
voter. To the owner of farm
property, they are of vital i'm
portance.
It is impossible for a farmer to
hand his tax burden on to the
ultimate, consumer by means of a
prree increase. He himself must
pay. If his tax burden has be-
come oppressive and the tax con-
fscatory, it can't be shifted.
Therefore it should be reduced.
Intelligent tax reduction must
come through lessened expendi-
ture of public monies and the de-
crease in expenditure must occur
where public funds are being
spent on luxuries and non-essen-
tials or dissipated through waste
and misuse
The public who pay the taxes
are the ones to determine
whether or not the sums paid are
excessive, and if so, where cur
tailment shall begin. For the
taxpaying public to determine
wisely, they must be fully and ac-
curately informed of the amounts
they and their neighbors pay,
how the revenues thus received
are divided between the differ
ent spending units of govern
ment and for what each unit uses
its share.
Such information is always
available. The greater portion
of the farmers of Minnesota, and
every other state, have found it
difficult to obtain, not because
it is unavailable but because it
has not been widely distributed
among those who do not have
easy access to records at the Cap
itol or Court House. Recogniz-
ing this, the Legislature of Min
nesota, in Chapter 319, Laws of
1915, directed each county treas
urer to cause to be printed,
stamped or written on the back
of all current tax receipts, a
statement showing the number
of mills of the current tax ap-
portioned to the state, county,
city, village, town or school dist
riot" By using the rates thus
given and the valuation shown
on the front of the receipt, any
taxpayer can readily ascertain
the proportion of his tax going to
each governmental unit. AL
though this data has been printed
on the tax receipts since 1915, it
has not been very extensively
used. To bring the information
out, its value home to the far
mers of Minnesota, the illustra-
tive statements herein have been
prepared.
In the rural sections of the
state, there are four government
tai units authorizing expendi-
lures which result in direct tax
levies-state, county, township
and school district.
Considering these four civil
subdivisions in order:
The state tax rate which will
be fixed this fall, and on the
basis of which 1927 taxes will be
paid, will be lower than the rate
fixed last fall and on the basis
of which taxes are being paid
this year.
The county tax rate, which on
the average was expected to
show a decrease throughout the
state, did decrease in thirty-three
counties, remained the same in
three and increased in fifty-one.
1t is now found that the levy in
the average county, for county
purposes, has actually jumped
from 14.03 mills, the rate for the
1924 tax paid in 1925, to 14.45
mills levied last year and pay
able this year.
If direct taxes now paid by
Minnesota farmers are to be re-
dnced further, reduction must
come principally as the result of
reduced spending by townships
and school districts. This is so
clear that it permits of no argu-
ment.
The farmer voters of the state
at their town elections on March
9th largely determined the
amount of their township ,expen-
ditures. Consequently they de-
1tarrninad the anon,1u4 fhav uril1