Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-03
CHEVY CHASE FEUD
OVER TAXES RACES
Records in. D. c., Political
Boss Objects and Asses
sor May Lose lob.

| taxes be levied upon the residents Of
Chevy Chase, Md, because a village
political boss Is purported to dislike
the owner of an office in which one OF
the county assessors took space to dc
his work?
Is the local political boss afraid t.
sponsor increased assessments II
Chevy Chase and maneuvering through
the dismissal of the unfortunate as
| SCISSOR to gain an ADJUDICATION OF the
case and higher rates of assessment
| through the activity of the Maryland
State Tax Commission, thereby escap
ing the onus of such action?
These are questions that are being
asked and arousing the thickly-popu
lated area skirting the District of Co
lumbia, and there is a pretty howdy
do over the whole proposition. Chevy
now, and charges are flying as thick
as the leaves on the beautiful trees
lining it's shady thoroughfares.
And here's how the equanimity OF
the Maryland village has been dis
turbed, according to those who are
fearful Of the results Of the split in
the Democratic, or controlling, ele
ment in Chevy Chase:
ueLS UIllC6 HI DlStTiCt.
William Lyles Offutt was appointed
assessor for the district by the Mont
gomery commissioners. He began his
work. AS suitable office space Is lack
ing in the village proper, Offutt, as
was the case five years ago when as.
sessments were made, took an Office
in a real estate office near Chevy
Chase Circle but within the District
Of Columbia.
The village political boss, so called.
objected to this, his objections being
attributed to enmity to the real es
tate man. He firmly demanded that
Mr.. Offutt move his offices and records
After pickering back and forth, Offutt
agreed to do so, but the political boss
is declared to have gone further and
demanded Offutt's resignation when
the removal was not accomplished on
the day the boss thought best.
On August IS, and on strong recon-
mendations of the village political
boss, the county supervisor of assess
ments, L. A. Chiswell, addressed a
letter demanding Offutt's resignation
Mr.. Offutt agreed, providing the word
ing of the letter was changed. Mr.
Offutt later reconsidered this, it Is
said, and on August "a the supervisor
of assessments again wrote to Mr.
Offutt, ordering the latter's resigna
ton on the ground that the keeping
of the Montgomery assessment cards
In the District Of Columbia was a VIC.
lation of law.
Procedure Not a New One.
Mr.. Offutt now points out that five
years ago the same procedure was
followed, and neither the village politi
cal boss nor the County Commission.
ers raised objections then. Offutt,
charged with insubordination in not
returning the cards as requested, chal.
lenged the county supervisors au-
thority in the case.
In his letter to Offutt the supervisor
charges that in 81 out of 100 cases
the cards of Mr.. Offutt show a reduc.
ton in assessments instead of ex.
pected increase. Mr.. Offutt charges
that in the cases of reduction the as
sessments there were the same as on
property along Connecticut avenue,
though the property involved was far
less valuable. The supervisor insists
that values along the District area are
greater now than ever and do not
warrant reductions in any case.
In asking again for the resignation
that unless the resignation Is received
the whole matter will be turned over
to the State Tax Commission. This
suggestion Is acclaimed by Mr.. Offutt.
What Offutt Charges.
In replying to the last demand for
his resignation because his assess
ments were too low in a few cases
Mr.. Offutt denies that he had refused
to resign, merely asking that the
matter be handled in the proper way
Offutt charges that the supervisor
admitted to him that he had exceeded
his authority, and that the first letter
demanding the resignation was die
tated by George p. Hoover of
Chevy Chase and a county commits.
sioner. Furthermore, Mr.. Offutt de
clares that the supervisor himself de
clared he did not blame Offutt for not
giving up the cards merely because
they were housed in the District OF
Columbia. Furthermore, he charges
the emissary of the political boss
and the County Commissioners did
not have receipt for the cards when
instructed to get them, which instruc
ton was ignored by the assessor who
faces custer.
The friends Of Offutt now charge
that the political authorities, particu
larly the village boss of Chevy Chase
Md, want the assessments increased
and want the State Tax Commission
to intercede in the case and fix higher
taxation rates. they thereby escaping
the usual political penalty for such
local action.
In the meantime the assessor has
not resigned
And the power of the State Tax
Commission looms.
And Chevy Chase, Md, faces higher
taxes.
And there's a fine kettle of fish
brewing
AS the war goes merrily on.
And all because a few records were
housed in an Office in the District of
Columbia.