The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-07-12

THE dollars and cents tax load or
properties that are now carrying
their just share of the tax burden
will not be increased under the
new tax laws requiring full cash
value assessment Governor SPECS.
Sard L. Holland told a joint civic
club meeting here yesterday
County functions, such as
schools, needing increased rev.
enue will have to look to those
provisions of the new tax laws
which will make possible % q
full collection of taxes, {2) mil.
lions of dollars of personal prop
erty that will be on the roll fol
the first time in history, and l3)
the tax on homes worth more
than $1,000 which have been es-
Gaping under the abuses of the
homestead exemption law.
'Millage levied by the various
county authorities must 60 down
ratably as the basis of valuation
increases" the Governor said,
emphasizing that all who are will
ing to pay their fair share have
nothing to fear in these laws. The
only way to reduce the tax load
for loyal taxpayers is to make
others come into line and if we do
this we will be able to materially
increase the revenue for the
schools without adding dime to
the tax bill of anyone except those
owning personal property which
has been escaping and those own
ing homes worth more than $4,000
which have been exempted under
the reduced valuation practices of
the part"
The Governor pointed out sew
eral provisions of the new tax
laws that will increase the collec-
ton of taxes to something ap
proximating the 95R anticipated
by law instead of the 500 or 1870
which in many cases has been the
average in the past.
These new laws give you tax
title that is good so we can really
sell delinquent property and thus
force the payment" of the taxes.
A tax title under these laws will
be the best title one can have to
real estate, and no more will the
State appear in the spectacle of
cancelling and wiping out millions
of dollars worth of tax assets
while the burden is passed on to
the fellow who pays and pays.
Names of persons who don't
pay their personal and intangible
taxes are to be published and that
means that most of them are GO
ing to pay. Those that don't will
find their property sold so this
burden will not be passed on, to
the taxpayer" the Governor con-
tinued
State supervision will insure
that the counties perform in a
uniform way and that budgets do
not increase the load on those who
pay taxes. Counties with weak
tax enforcement, where school
terms have been shortened, will
find vigorous state supervision
bringing about the uniformity and
the enforcement machinery neces-
sary to raise the money for length
ening the school terms not from
those who have already been pay
ing"
"These new tax laws will not
mean the destruction of local self
government. These methods will
encourage and preserve local self
government. 1t is important these
days to show the strength of
democracy by its practical de-
velopment of solutions to its prob
lens and nothing is more funda-
mental in a practical working
democracy than equality in pay
ing for government"
The Governor opened his talk
with a tribute to the Legislature
for developing and passing what
he declared was the most con-
structive legislative program in
Florida's modern history-includ-
ing legislation setting up practi-
cal programs for national defense,
conservation, highway safety
through a non-political highway
patrol, non political parole