Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-02-03
Montgomery County New Taxable
Basis.

The Montgomery County Commissioners
are holding hearings to enable dissatisfied
taxpayers to register protests against the
valuations placed on their property in the
reassessments which have been made.
Lsytonsvile, Clarksbarg. Poolesville, OAR
nestown. Rockville. Gaithersburg. Barnes
vile and Damascus districts have had
hearings.
The sections where the increases were
the sreatest-Bethesda. Wheaton. Poto-
mac. ColesviIle and Olney districts-are
yet to be heard.
Under the old assessment the countys
taxable basis on real estate was $50. 708.-
4l0. while the basis on tangible personal
property. including automobiles, was ST.
499. 470. making total OF $50 POT $50.
1t is estimated by those in a position to
know that the new assessment will boost
the basis by $40 .OOO. 900. or more. or bring
it up around the $80.0O0.000 mark.
The returns from Takoma Park and one
or two other localities are not yet in. but
the reassessment. so far as all other Sec
tons of the county are concerned, virtually
is complete. OF the estimated 100000
900 increase. Bethesda district. it is stated
will provide approximately $i0.000.000.
or one-half, while Wheaton district will. it
is said, account for something like $6000.-
900. Ia Takoma Park alone. where the
revaluations are nearing completion. an
increase Of $2.000.O00 or more is looked
for In the other districts of the county
the increases are understood to run from
about $4,000 to $325.O0O. excepting in
Potomac district, where the tabulation may.
It is said. show a jump of 100000 or
more.
The records in the court house show
that of the old taxable basis Of SIS. 207. :
$50 Bethesda district supplied $2l.395.-
$50. or something over SO per cent, while
Wheaton districts share was $lS 1857 .785,
or approximately % l-2 per cent. the two
districts totaling $34.763.415. or more
than So 1-2 per cent. II the estimates re-
garding the new assessment are correct,
the taxable basis of Bethesda district will
be around So. 100000. or about SO per
cent of the whole. while that of Wheaton
district will be in the neighborhood of
$2I. 900 900. OF something like 26 per cent
of all. the two totaling approximately
$50, 900 900, or around So per cent of the
entire county basis.
The instructions Of the State tax officials
to the local assessors were that all prop.
erty should be assessed at its actual value
Had those orders been Obeyed. il is be
leved the countys taxable basis would
have been boosted considerably beyond
the $l00,000,000 mark. AS it is, the val
uations were in many cases doubled anC
in some instances. principally in the Chevy
Chase, Bethesda. Silver Spring ana Takoms
Park neighborhoods, trebled or even quad
rupled. 1t is held that the new assess
ments for the entire county will not aver
age more than so per cent of the actua
values.
|
what effect the increased basis will hav'
on the general county tax rate. which il
now $l.30 on each 500 of real and tanei
BILE personal property. 1t has been hintec
that when all details in connection with
the new assessment are completed tn;
county commissioners may see their way
clear to lop off a certain percentage for
the entire county. Notwithstanding that
heavy expenditures, to include $3.50, 00(
for an addition to the coua house. new
public school buildings. new jail. large
amount of road construction and other i'm.
provements. are planned for tn, very neal
future. II the commissioners do not make
such countrywide cut in the assessments
the new basis should mean, it is contended
a substantial decrease in the tax rate, not
withstanding the contemplated big expen
ditures referred to.