Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1927-03-24
Creates Equalization Board and Au-
thorizes Fund of $3,25O,OOO for
| Purpose of Equalizing Taxes in
Various Counties of State
PROVIDES 40 CENT-TAx LEVY
With Provision that Only 5 Per Cent
Can Be Levied for Support of Six
Months School Term, Except for
Paying Higher Scale for Teachers
Than State Schedule.

Below is the full text of the Woltz
education bill as passed by the 1927
general assembly. The law provides
for a tax levy of 40 cents on the
! 500 valuation, and creates an euua-
liZation board composed of eleven
members, one of whom is DR.. B. B.
Dougherty, of Boone, president of
the Appalachian State Normal
| School.
The act is as follows:
An Act to Provide for the Distribu-
tion of the Equalizing Fund for
Certain Counties
The General Assembly of North
Carolina do enact:
Section /. That the appropriation
made under Title " (2) of Sec
ton l in can Act to Make Appropria-
tions for the Maintenance of the
States Institutions, the Various De-
! partments, Bureaus and Agencies of
the State Government" of the sum of
$3,250,000 for an equalizing fund for
the year ending June 80, 1928, and of
the sum of $3,250,000 for an equal
izing fund for the year 1929 shall be-
distributed among the various coun-
ties of the state as hereinafter pro-
vided.
Sec. 2. That a state board Of
equalization is hereby established,
which shall be composed of eleven
members, one of whom shall be the
presiding officer of the senate and
one member from each congressional
district of North Carolina, to be ap-
pointed by the governor and confirm
ed by the senate before the adjourn
ment of the regular session of the
general assembly for the year 1927;
said members shall serve for period
OF four years from the time of their
appointment and shall receive as COM
pensation therefor the sum of ten
dollars per dav and expenses while
actually engaged upon the business of
the board. Tho state board of euua-
lization shall have the power to ap-
point an executive secretary and
such assistants as they may deem ne
cessary and shall be provided with
adequate quarters in the depart
ment of revenue. Said assistant
and employees of said state board of
equalization shall collect ani organize
data dealing with the value If prop
erty of the several counties of the
state. The salary of all employees and
| members of the board shall be paid
out of the equalization fund upon
requisition drawn by the STATE s per
| intendent Of public instruction
See. 8. The duties of the state
board of equalization shall be as fol-
lows: To investigate, study COM
pare and determine the true value of
all property subject to taxation for
each and every county in the state,
which value shall be the basis unon
which taxes for the six months school
term shall be levied and collected and
the basis upon which the equalizing
fund shall be apportioned. In per-
forming this duty the state beard Of
equalization shall have the right to
examine all records bearing on this
subject in any public office in North
Carolina, and it shall be the duty of
all public officials in the state and
all owners of property, both individu-
al and corporate, to cooperate with
said board and to give it upon re-
quest such information as they may
have. The state board of eQualiZa-
tion shall certify the total value of
all property as by it determined of
each and every county to the commits
sioner of revenue, to the state super
intendent of public instruction, to
the state auditor and to the board of
county commissioners and the county
board of education of each county
not later than June first of each year,
beginning with June l, 1928. Said
| board shall also have authority to
make such rules and regulations con-
cerning the time and place of its
meetings as it may determine and the
right to conduct such hearings as it
may deem necessary in the perform
ance of its duties, and for that pur-
pose may issue subpoenas under the
hand of its chairman or secretary,
compelling the attendance of persons
and the production of papers at any
Time and place designated by said
| board and shall also have the right