Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-04-07
Information GIVEN
ON Land RATINGS
Many Inquiries are Received
at Assessors Office on
New Schedule

Much confusion and dissatisfaction
has arisen in connection with the new
zcning system and schedule for com
putting assessment values of farm
property. Scores of protests nave
been filed by the taxpayers so the
assessors office finds itself in a pc
sitian unable to make prompt answer
am takes this means eff assuring all
of ius patrons that all complaints
will be given attention as soon as
work slackens, making 1t possible to
give these matters personal and I'm
divided attention.
The complaints referred to are
protests against the increase in as
sessed valuation Of real estate, which
is occasioned by the change in the
schedule of computing Of real estate,
brought about by the change in
the schedule of computing assess
ment values. These new schedules
were outlined by the Tax Commits
sion consisting of one mar selected
by the Taxpayers Association, one
nan by the County Commissioners,
and the third mar selected by the
two. The purpose Of revising the old
schedule was to equalize the tax bur-
den In prior years No. l grazing
land in zone / had the same assess
men value as No. 2 agricultural
Land in zone 8, and $500 higher value
than third class agricultural land In
zone 8. There was also a spread Of
$1,000 per acre between No. / agri-
cultural land in zone | and zone 3.
1t is apparent to any fair minded
taxpayer that the old schedule did
not form an equitable distribution Of
assessment values, based upon soil
productiveness, so with the purpose
of correcting this defect in the old
schedule, the tax commission worked
out the new schedule, making it pos
sible to reduce assessment values on
grazing Land to a uniform price Of
$500 and $500 per acre, The natur-
al result of this change has inereas-
ed assessment values of No. 2 and 3
agricultural Land, which in prior
years was located in zones 2 and 3,
but it reduces the value Of the graz
ing land
1t is fair to assume that the tax
commission, as well as the commits
sioneas, did not fully appreciate what
definite results would be obtained
neither did the employees at the as
SCISSORS office conceive what definite
form of zCning system should be
adopted to equalize the distance from
market After much discussion, IT
was decided to make the zones
square by section lines, the center to
ccntain Iour miles square, the second
two miles distant from the first zone
line etc.
This SEEMS To MI, out fine in
theory but not in practice-neithel
will a circular zon4e work out salts
factofiIy. Ii grants advantage to
those who travel the shortest dis
lance to mtrket, so it will be neces-
saIy to rGadjuss tn zJning system
Sc a. to give equal advantage TO all
taxpayers, and this work will be an
der aiken and completed in time
to equalize the values before individ-
ual assessment art placed on the
bo-ks. Due notice will be given tx
all parties who are now placed at q
disadvantage, according to Assessor
George Bolster.
1t is hardly probable that ths
board of county commissioners viii
decide to make a further reduction o.
81 per aer on No. 3 agriculture
land to be effective in. next years as
sessment. 1t is their contention now
that spread between No. 2 and 8 lane
should be 81 instead of 81 having
formed this opinion after much
investigation and further study Of
the various classifications.