Evening star., 1927-10-05
STATE GUSTS TWO
IN TAX LEVY ROW
Commission Holds Star.
Chamber Session in Chevy
Chase Case.

SpeCtai Dtspatcb 10 Ine stat.
BALTIMORE, Md, October g.
William Lyles Orfutt and Dion X .
Kerr. assessors for the Chevy Chase
and Bethesda district Of Montgomery
County, were dismissed from office to-
day by the Tax Commission. following
hearing behind closed doors on
charges OF incompetency.
Announcement Of the removal from
Office Of the assessors was made in a
formal statement issued after the
hearing. in which the accused men and
members Of the Board OF County Com.
missioners OF Montgomery County
were participa nts.
: Text Of Statement.
The statement follows
In the matter Of the charges of in
competency preferred by l.. A. CHS
Well supervisor of assessments for
Montgomery County, on September
81. 1927. against William 1.yles Offutt
and Dion h. Kerr. assessors for the
second precinct. Chevy Chase. Bethes
da (seventh) district of Montgomery
County. and heard by the commission
on September 80, 1927. at which time
the persons named above appeared.
and from the statements made by the
supervisor and the admission Of the
said accused assessors. we find the
charges of incompetency fully sus
tained: and therefore
1t is hereby ordered by the State
Tax Commission this fifth day of
October. 1927. that the said William
I.yies Offutt and Dion h. Kerr be and
they are hereby removed as assessors
for the second precinct Chevy Chase.
Bethesda Hthl district OF Montgomery
County. and
Appointments Asked.
1T is further ordered by the State
Tax Commission that the Board Of
County Commissioners OF Montgomery
County are hereby directed to appoint
two suitable and qualified persons as
succe ssors to the said William 1.yles
Offutt and Dion X. Kerr. on or be-
fore October Il. 1927. and forthwith
certify said appointments to this com
mission.
'1Signed) j. ENOS RAY. JESSE D.
PRICE. OSCAR Lesser. commits
siuners'
None of the commission would make
any further comment on the case.
Star.chamber methods were adopted
by the commission. Five members OF
the Board Of County Commissioners
OF Montgomery County had been sum
moned before the commission to ex-
plain the alleged. irregularities.
Those called before the tax COM
mission, all OF whom were present
were DR.. Benjamin G. Perry. chair
man: Downey M. Williams Robert L..
Hickerson, Clagett c.. Hilton and
Lacey Shaw.
Cites Low Assessments.
Evidence obtained by !. M. Lindsey
chief inspector OF the tax commission.
indicates that many assessments have
been made at less than 20 per cent
Of the true value OF the property. and
as an instance. Mr.. Lindsey said he
discovered that a property assessed at
s4500 five years ago and since sold
for Sl0.500 was assessed this year al
slightly more than $4,000.
This evidence and that Of CHS
well was presented to the commits
sion at hearing last Friday. Kerr
and Onutt. in their defense, decla red
they made assessments lower than
the actual value of the property be-
cause they felt certain they would be
forced to resign il they did not.
Five years ago was one of the
assessors and we We're trying to fol-
,ow the true value in making assess.
menta.' Ofutt told the commission
but there was such a row that all
Of MS handed in our resigna tiOns. A
ma n called me on the phone one night
and asked me II | would like to be
one OF the county assessors Kerr
declared. He told me he knew ] was
not in favor of raising assessments.
and said that was the kind Of ma
they wanted for assessors"
Irregularities Charged.
The irregularities in the assess
ments in Chevy Chase district were
brought 10 the commissions attention
by Mr.. Chiswell. and Mr.. Lindsay
made an investigation. Property there
selling regularly at $l25 a front foot
has been assessed at 20 cents q front
foot. according to Mr.. Lindsay, and in
stances were found where former as
sessments OF 80 cents a front foot had
been reduced to 20 cents. Mr.. Lindsay
began his investigation on August ~
and ordered the suspension Of the two
men shortly afterward.
q
H0N0RS LEE /. ROBINSON.