Evening star., 1937-07-22
GROUNDWORK laid.
FOR TAX SPEED-UP
Commissioners May Act on
Committee Recommen-
dationS tomorrow.

Groundwork already has been laid
for sweeping administrative reorgan-
ization OF the District assessors and
tax collectors Office to carry out rec
concentrations submitted to the Com
missioners yesterday by a special COM
mittee after three months study Of
the municipal tax machinery.
An intensified "dunning" campaign
designed to collect $4,114,365 in over
due personal property taxes, can be
started almost Immediately after 1t is
authorized by the Commissioners, Dis
trict Auditor Daniel Donovan, chair
man Of the special committee, said.
The Commissioners at their meeting
tomorrow are expected to act on the
comprehensive committee report which
embodies "a recommendations for
changes in the present tax collection
and assessment procedure.
The committee in its report en-
phasiZes the need for undermining the
system of preparing and distributing
tax bills in the assessors office. Since
the assessors Office will be sWamped
with work next month as a result of
the delay determining the tax base
for the current fiscal year, doubt was
expressed that the moderniZation pro-
gram would be undertaken until after
the rush Of preparing tax bills is over
Suggests Federal Method.
Outspoken in its criticism Of the
failure OF the tax collectors office to
collect delinquent personal taxes. the
committee urged the Commissioners to
inaugurate a vigorous, systematic cam
paign to assess and collect such taxes
The committee suggested that the
campaign be modelled after methods
employed by the Federal Government
in going after overdue income taxes
with letters, telephone calls and finally
personal calls.
Donovan said funds for postage and
telephone calls could be made avail
able if the Commissioners ordered the
campaign started.
The committee pointed out that such
a campaign in Newark. N. j.. last year
resulted in the collection of 100000
in overdue personal property taxes in
six months.
To put teeth in the drive to collect
delinquent personal taxes, the COM
mittee strongly urged enactment OF
legislation which would empower the
collector Of taxes to attach bank ac-
counts and all other credits and in
tangible property in addition to goods
and chattels of delinquents. as well
as to obtain liens against their real
estate in District Court. These pro-
visions already have been written into
the pending tax bill.
Would Protect Collectors.
Another of the committees recon-
mendations already written into the
pending tax bill would defend the
tax collector from judgments against
his personal property in suits grow
ing out of his official acts.
In all IS of the committee rec
concentrations call for legislative &C
ton before they can be put into ef-
feet, while could be carried out
through administrative action on the
part of the Commissioners.
Donovan emphasized that the Com
missioners have authority under exist
ing legislation to carry out the COM
mittee's recommendations calling for
establishment Of central accounting
and billing office, from which bills list
ing the total debt Of each taxpayer
would be mailed At present, taxpay-
ers are required to call at the District
Building for their tax bills unless they
request that they be mailed
BY eliminating duplication Of work
and employing modern methods, the
proposed central billing Office would
furnish definite accounting control
over both current and delinquent
charges and would provide an eff
cient and economical method of han
ding all tax accounting, the commit
tee reported.
Would Centralize Information.
Establishment of the central Office
would consolidate all information on
each parcel of property in each place
and taxpayer no longer would be
forced to 60 from office to Office to