Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-07-21
Taxpayers Tell
OF The Necessity
ForTaxDecrease
Farm Loan Group Warn
Against Increased Valu-
alton; New Building.

The board of county commissioners
met in the court house at Pine City
Monday afternoon and listened to
suggestions of two delegations, one
representing taxpayers interested in
curtailing expenses as much as pos
sible and keeping the valuation of
property in the county at the present
level, and the other representing var
ious villages throughout the county
in a discussion of a proposed office
building to be furnished by Pine City
for use of county offices.
The First Session.
The occasion of the boards meeting
was primarily for the purpose of tax
equalization and Chairman c. A.
Pearson of the board extended invi-
tation to those present to express
their views. Leonard Machart, sec
rotary of the Southern Pine County
National Farm Loan Association,
spoke in behalf of his Association.
In launching his discussion Mr..
Machart read the following letter
which was sent out to members:
''At the annual meeting of the
Southern Pine County National Farm
Loan Association, among other things,
the tax situation was discussed, and
at that time the secretary treasurer
was instructed to arrange meeting
with the county board of equaliza-
ton and advise the membership of
LOTT V0,, hnrnIxy
notified that such meeting will be
held at the court house at Pine City
on Monday, July Is, 1888, at p. M,
and you are urged to attend.
1.-The purpose of this meeting is not
to criticize the county board, but to
plead with them to continue the
present level of valuations and to
curtail all expenditures to the limit.
We feel that unless this is done, the
taxes will raise to such an extent that
it will be a hardship for you to pay
taxes, interest and installments on
your loans We wish to impress on
this county board the seriousness of
the tax matter, and hope they will
cooperate in every possible way to
keep the taxes down. The raising
of valuations is the first step to
higher taxes, and excessive eXpendi-
lures are the second Let's all be on
hand and plead fo1 the continuation
of the present level of valuations and
the curtailment of county eXpendi-
lures. 1t is very important.
Come and bring everyone who is
interested in keeping the taxes down
to the level we can all afford to pay"
Mr.. Machart advised against any
tendency toward higher taxes at the
present time and warned that high
er valuation in the county would tend
toward higher taxes. He voiced the
necessity of reducing all outstanding
warrants and enlarged upon the con-
tents of the letter to members which
had to do with curtailing county ex-
penses to the minimum.
Others of the delegation voiced the
same plea to the board.
Expenses Higher Than Levy.
At the present time, as stated by
a board member, the county's ex-
penses are approximately $4,000 more
than the law will permit to be raised
in the revenue fund and on top of
that the County Welfare Board has
submitted a budget calling for COM
pulsory expenditure of $4,000 for the
year.
County Auditor Therrien stated
that a higher valuation might tend
to take some of the Old Age pen
sioners off the list since the law says
that their real estate holdings cannot
exceed $500. If the valuation were
raised that would bring some of them
above the limit allowed and would
thus automatically take them from the
rolls. There are about 1915 in the
county receiving Old Age pension
which averages nearly $40 each
Over 700 are receiving relief. All
that is compulsory by law for the
county to raise by taxation.
The board expressed its realization
of the necessity to retrench, but as
j. S. Patrick, commissioner from the
Third district, pointed out there is
mo place we can save; practically
every expenditure is compulsory by
law" No appeal has been made to
the state by clients over the county's
authority which have not been al
lowed.
Commissioners E. B. Greenwald,
Oscar Eklund, c. A. Pearson and w.
C. Ausmus expressed their desire to
save, but all told of the demands
which are compelled by law. Mr..
Greenwald told of one instance where
the county has been compelled to hire
a county worker for the aged and
dependent children and he also stated
that at the present time the county
has to pay to the wife of a disabled
citizen the same as if she were a
widow.