Evening star., 1930-10-26
PROPERTY VALUES
RAISED s25,0()D,ODD
Alexandria Assessment Puts
Taxable Worth at
$41,OOO,OOO.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special Dlspatch TO the star.
ALEXANDRIA. Va, October 25-
Real property OF this city has an as
sessed valuation of approximately
$50 100000 in the report Of the Board
Of Assessors, which has just completed
its work, and with the estimated valu-
alton of $5,000,000 on public utilities
which valuation Is set by the State
Corporation Commission, the total val
uation here will be approximately SAL
100000, on which taxes will be based
for next year.
Increase $25,00O,0OO.
The valuation last year was $l6,-
79l ,889, which means that the new
total valuation Will be an increase OF
almost $25, 600 900 over the former fig
ures. The figures as compiled this
year have been based on actual values
Of the property, while in the past the
OF true valuation. To Offset this the
present tax rate Of $265 per hundred
will be reduced and will probably be
placed around $1.l0 by City Council.
The increased valuation represents
about 2.6 per cent increase over the
former values and on the basis of the
new values the former valuation is
revealed as about 80 per cent of the
true values. A tax rate of 81 10 on the
crease of q few Thousand dollars over
the revenue last year from taxes. The
new rate, however, may be placed
slightly higher than $1.l0, and If so,
the return viii be correspondingly
greater.
Whatever new rate is established, q
special rate will probably be put into
effect for residents of the territory an
nexed last January from Arlington
khA d. Ak-AA
may not be increased under the an
nexation agreement for a period Of five
years. Property owners in that section
paid at the rate Of $3.50 last year,
which was IS cents lower than the
rate for the remainder of the city.
The new assessment will give the
city greatly increased borrowing power.
which is based directly on the assessed
valuation of real property. 1t also is
persons not familiar with the former
method of assessing property at a por-
ton of its true value could not recon-
cile the prices asked for property with
the amounts at which 1t was assessed
Last year the city budget was $7l9,-
l07, which included s153,560 for school
fund and $90,2l4 for gas fund. The
gas fund will be cut out in the new
budget due to the recent sale Of the
the tax on real property amounts to
approximately $450,000, with the addi-
tional revenue coming from the State
portion of the school fund, the city
automobile license tax, corporation and
franchise taxes, licenses. fines and
other miscellaneous receipts
Meeting Next Week.
The new figures will be formally
presented to City Council at its meet
ing next Thursday, and at that time
it Is expected that the new rate will
be discussed. The amount Of revenue
necessary and the amount which will
be received from various rates will be
figured before the Council arrives at
the new tax rate.
The books Of the assessors will be
first turned over to the clerk of the
courts, where they will be opened for
public inspection within a few days.
Property owners then have recourse to
the recently appointed Board Of Re-
views If they are not satisfied with the
values placed on their property. Final
recourse will be to the Corporation
Court presided over by Judge William
p. Woolls. When the Board of Reviews
has completed its work and the new
tax rate Is fixed. the books of the as
SCISSORS will be permanently placed In
the ONCE Of the Commissioner of
Revenue.
In conjunction with the work Of the
local Board of Assessors, the city en-
ployed the Manufacturers Appraisal
Co. of Philadelphia to aid in the sci-
entific assessment of the city and to
make maps and plats of city property.
The work has been completed and con-
sists Of $50 blueprint maps and plats,
which are on file with the city. Copies
OF these maps also may be purchased
by any citizen. A card index system of
property also was worked out by this
company and this, with the new plats,
will greatly simplify the work of future
assessors
The Board of Assessors is composed
Of Taylor Burke. Fred C. Goodnow and
Edward j. Fleming Dates for meeting
Of the local Beard of Reviews are ex-
peeted TO be announced shortly.