The border vidette., 1933-08-26
LARGE TAX SLASH MADE

was slashed yesterday from the
1888 tax bill of farm. ranch and
city property owners in Arizona.
Announcing q state tax rate of
1.07 per 500 assessed valuation.
the tax commission simultane
ously revealed that the new
deal" had arrived for the small
property owner.
While the valuation of mines,
utilities and railroads was being
reduced $6, 79l. $40. or 3.53 per
cent, $43. 434, 1875. or % SO per
; cent was being slashed from the
valuation of irrigated lands, graz
ing lands, city and town lots and
the improvements 90 all of them.
The net result is that these
classes of property will pay
SOL OLA less in taxes during the
next year for state purposes
than they did in the 1882 33 tax
year.
The total state valuation and
the state budget we're cut an al
most equal amount. and the rate
of tax by somewhat less. Ses
sions Of the board of equaliza
tion held last week, which con
fined the major valuation reduc
tions to the city and farm prop
! critics, accounted for all of the
shift in the tax burden.
The states valuation for the
current year was announced by
Thad M. Moore, member of the
tax commission, as 1886, ,87l, ,751,
reduction of $50, $40. .664 from
the total of $473.342,41 for one
year ago. The reduction was
18 2 per cent.
| With last years rate at $1.2O
an aggregate Of IS, ,680,1 was
produced, while this years rate
of ST OF will raise 81, 139, 527.
The net reduction of taxes for
the whole state was 81, $40, ,581. j.
or 81 per cent.
| Of the total savings in taxes,
IS. 5 per cent-nearty half-wilf
accrue to the owners of farming
and grazing lands and city and
town property.
1t represents, the tax commits
sion pointed out, the first major
shift in favor of this class Of
property 10 the history of the
state.
The commission ammo n d
the 81 on rate was being fixed to
produce revenue for budget Of
81, 190.737. The actual budget
reduction of $1,O25 594 repre-
sented cut of 19 81 per cent,
| less than one per cent more than
the reduction 10 the states valu
ton.
In both budget figures quoted,
no account was taken of gen
eral fund book deficit Last year
the deficit was $462, 1856. This
year it is 81, 1,644.234.
| VIRTUALLY all of the deficit, "
| Mr.. Moore said, represents de
licquent taxes, and for the
amount, registered state war
rants are outstanding.
The property levy could not
be increased to take the deficit
into consideration. for that would
be putting two taxes on the man
who pays to make up for the
man who does not.
The commission thought it
would be best TO ignore 10 its
calculation, the probable receipts
from the income, intangible and
sales taxes. All the revenue
from these taxes therefore will
be devoted to erasing the general
fuud book deficit.
THAT means al! the receipts
from the taxes will be used to
take up outstanding warrants.
releasing that much cash into
state trade channels.
Estimated receipts, in max
ing the budget. were put at the
lowest, that over-optimism on
This score would not rebound to
increase the book deficit"
Irrigated and dry farming aud
grazing lands are valued this
year at $45, $40, ,270 compared
with $63, ,O97 ,O67 for 1882, a re.
dnc,ion of $17, ,526. 797.
City and town lots and their
improvements were valued $92,-
74O.O46, compared with $ll8.
647, 434 last year, or total re
duc,ion of $25, 5,9O7 1888.
The net reduction 10 the value
of mines, railroads and other
utilities was Sc, 79l $40, or jus,
8 80 per cent of their total value
for last year, which was $l93,
33l 1925. The new valuation is