Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-09-11
Suggestions For The Taxpayers Assn

Suggestions For The Taxpayers Assn
A taxpayers association has been organized in this county, and we
want to help them all we can. We do not want to believe that politics
has anything to do with the formation Of this body, although it has the
eamarkso of being SO, as We find that many Of its officers were selected
on Saturday as candidates for the FarmerLabor party. AS they have
decided not to mix in politics, we believe that the directors and officers
of this association should consist of an equal number of members of the
Republican and Democratic parties a well as the Farmer-Iabor party
and no political candidate for any party or ticket should be permitted to
act As an officer or director Of the Taxpayers Association.
1t is the associations plan to appoint an equal number of dnec-
tors in each county commissioner district, and if they are honestly a
non-polnical body W e ask that the two major political parties be grant
ed equal representation with the Farmer-Labories.
Recently we talked the State Examiner who told us that in many
places Throughout Montana the county taxpayers associations arr used
as political footballs, an. they overlooked many items Of vast Importance
centging their entire interest upon curing down the budget of each
county office anywheres from 500 to $500 each. Many of these directors
do not know just how much work is actually necessary in each office, but
center O. this ne small matter Of reducing the help, thereby creating
criticism for the elected official. This is ofthmes needed to keep him
within the necessary bounds, but is done most times for pure political
reasons.
Our present county officers arr not wasteful with their budgets
and in most instances have money left over at the end of the fiscal year.
This money is automatically retired to the general fund at that time and
is not wasted. Take Sheriff Madsen's office as IN example. In one year
his Office made a saving of $4,000 over that of his predecessor, and this
money was Immediately retired to the general fund. The same applies
in every Office where the levies were placed in proportion to the amount
used by the former Farmer-Labor officers, and huge sums have been saw
ed over what it cost in the previous administration
We herewith suggest some taxation matters for the associations
consideration, and which will give them plenty of material to work on,
and if completed will do much good in this county.
County land values re too high in this county in proportion to
many other counties lin Montana, and as a result of such high land values
we bear a inequitable proportion of the State taxes.
Valley county has taken the right step in this matter a 8 the
County Commissioners there recently ordered all country real state e.
duced 20 per cent and the assessor there is now busy making the neces
ssry reductions for future assessments.
Should Sheridan county do this, it will, Of course, necessarily in
crease our local levies but will not increase u taxes, and will reduce
the State taxes N average of 100 on every $4,000 assessed value on
country real estate.
Another matter which is unfair is that in many places herd dis
ticts have been created so that all livestock must be kept inside of fenced
areas during the summer months, and there is also a law that swine must
at all times be maintained in an enclosure, or the owner can be fined for
allowing them to u at large There m hundreds of farms that are as
sessed from $4,000 and up to more than $4,000 for keeping the farm
fenced and preventing the stock from destroying neighbors crops.
Fences re a absolute necessity and should not be assessed, as it is
penahzing our citizens for obeying the law of the State and protecting his
own and his neighbors growing crops.
The present method of assessing land in separate zones 1t a GER
tain value in each zone, can also be greatly improved upon. At the pres
ent time these zones re divided as follows: All farm and grazing
lands within the corporate limits of any town or city; all lands within
seven miles of a marketing place; all lands over seven miles and not
more than Is miles from market and the last zone is all lands more than
Is miles from market
A farm with the same amount of improvements and within a
mile or two from market is worth more than q similar farm seven miles
from market. Assuming a farm Of 800 acres seven miles from market
the next zone r. more than seven miles from market, and here the land
values drop two to four dollars per acre, depending upon whether the
land is agricultural Of grazing in character. Why should such land be
valued at from $4,000 to $4,000 less than the farm across the road?
The same condition again applies on the farm that is Is miles
from market and one 15h miles from market.
Another thing % be taken into consideration is: What is a mar
kt place? In these days of good roads the market place is generally
here the best sales and purchasing facilities are available. The gener-
al presumption for assessment purposes is that such market place is
where the farmer can sell his crops, but a market place goes much far
Their than this.
Just what constitutes such q market place we will leave to the
taxpayers association to determine.
We have made a close study of taxation matters and especially
pertaining to country real estate, and we have talked with many county
officers in other counties where the same condition has been corrected from
the system row in vogue in this county, and in most asses they have
placed the same identical value on grazing lands Of the different grades
throughout the county placing 1t class grazing land at $500, End class
at $500, 3rd class at $500 and 18th or waste land at $1OO per are. They
maintain that grazing land is worth n o e town than it is Is
mles away.
For agricultural lands they have placed a value Of a certain sum
adjoining q market place and for each mile further from market they
have dropped the price for 1t class farm land $1OO per acre; and all
other classes so cents per acre.
We believe this would be one solution to the mode of taxation now
in vogue in more than half the counties in Montana, and which applies
here at home.
We are willing to cooperate with the taxpayers association with
every bit of knowledge We have Of taxation and assessment methods and
r. calling these matters to their attention.
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