The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-05
Group
Urges Tax LeUeEng
S-Man Group Presents Report
On Retaliation to Board

The FOLLOWING Is the kNll text OF
che report 6f q flve-lhan committee
OF the Board Of Aldermen relative
10 the revaluatlon Issue. The report
was submitted 10 the fun board az
les meeting last night. Members Of
the committee weres James M.
Lynch tDl, Harold A, Ashley CD,
Martin ]. Tehan cd, Major j.
Peter Coetlgan CR) and Albert
Loesfler CR).
Gentlemen;
At q meeting Of the Board Of Al
derfnen held on Jan. Z, 1915, the
undersigned were appointed q com.
niittee 10 investigate the method
used by the George B, Koran 90.
In revaiuing taxable property In
the City Of waterbury, and report
It's findings TO this board.
Accordingly the committee met
and organized on Jan. Q, 1916. on
that evening . meeting Of dele
gates from the various commune
ity clubs was held In the Alder.
manic Chamber for the purpose OF
hearing Assessor jerks and Mr..
Koran describe the conditions un-
der which the retaliation was car.
ried on. There was an extensive
question and answer period parti.
cipated In by large number Of
citizens. The members Of your
committee attended said hearing as
observers only for the purpose Of
getting sech information as we
could.
It would appear that there has
been q demand for long time for
reorganization Of the Board OF
Assessors and TO rnodernize that
department of the city government,
Several bills, with that end in view
have been presented TO the Gen.
eral Assembly, and one was
passed BY both houses at the ses-
sion held in lo4S, but was vetoed
by Gov Baldwin on the theory that
it violated the principle Of home
rule. The governor did recon-
mend, however, that the Board OF
Assessors be reorganized and
placed upon q modern basis.
Thereafter Mayor Monagan re-
Quested the state tax commissioner
to investigate conditions In the de.
partment. This work was carried
out and recommendation made FOL
Improvement. At the last session oi
the General Assembly q bill wal
passed abolishing the Board o.
Assessors as then existing anc
creating a single assessor with
provision for necessary assistants
The bill was signed by the Cover
nor and became binding on tn
city. The mayor appointed Aldr'
jerks as assessor under the pro
vision Of this law.
Hold Conference
II is the duty OF the assessor 3
list all taxable property in the cit
at its present true and actua
valuation" In arriving at that val
uation the ordinary procedure
what the property would bring 4
fair market, and not what i
would bring at a forced sale.
The Supreme Court has said
The expressions actual valu'
market value or market price whe
| applied 70 any article mean tn
same thing. They mean the pric
or value Of the article establishe
or shown by sales public or pr
vate In the way Of ordinary bus
mess" and in ascertasning n
present true and actual valua
ton the cost Of property is relevaT
evidence OF its fair market valu
but the best test is ordinarily ths
Of market sales"
Your committee had a confer
ence with Assessor jerks and NJ
Koran and we went over the matte
in detail. It would appear that M
jerks has not personally place
the value on any taxable propert
as a result Of his own examination
He did accept the estimate {
value placed on the various piect
OF property by the George
Koran Co.
It Is the claim of Mr.. Koran an
his associates that the job was {
stupendous proportions and had
be completed within a Unite
time. The work was necessaril
speeded up and rushed in order
complete the task before the dead
line in December, l945. Mr.. Hora
stated that the help problem W.
q serious one, but that all thing