Evening star., 1952-10-09
Montgomery 10 Hear
500 Property Tax
Protests Today

The eyes of Montgomery County
suburbanites are on Rockville to-
day. where the County, Tax Ap-
peals Court began reviewing
more than 500 protested property
assessments.
The protests, 545 in number.
were filed by property owners in
the suburban area of the county.
after they received notices of
their new assessments based on
q current reassessment program.
Only $500 notices have been
mailed so far. The reassessment
is still being carried on and more
than $1,000 more notices will be
put in the mail by next May.
Deluge of Complaints.
County officials have been DEL
uged with complaints from prop
erty owners who have received
their notices. At meeting Tues
day county council members
were visibly concerned with the
import of the flood of complaints.
They agreed that information
should be furnished residents on
the basis used in arriving at new
assessments.
Individual complaints which
have come to light since the
notices were put in the mail be-
ginning early in September are
that assessments have increased
as much as 80 per cent.
Wilton T. Allen, supervisor of
assessments, said yesterday how
ever, that the average increase will
be about Is per cent when all of
the appraisals are completed.
Older Homes Hardest Hit.
He explained that the older
homes in the suburban area are
hardest hit by the current re-
assessment, since they have not
been reappraised for five years.
New houses built in the interim
have been assessed more recently |
and are more in line with cur
rent values. he said.
Further adding to the woes Of
the owners of older homes is the
fact that the last reassesSment was
based on market values of 1941.
Thus they feel the impact of |
eleven years of soaring real estate
prices all in one year, he said.
Mr.. Allen has predicted that
the revised assessments in the
suburban area will add about $50 /
million to the county's assessable
base. He said this is conserva-
tive estimate.
Tax Cut Hopes Dashed.
But even the hope that the
higher tax base will result in a
reduced tax rate was dashed at
the council meeting Tuesday.
At that time. Irving G. McNayr,
county manager. said the theory
that taxes can be reduced when
the tax base is increased does not
necessarily work in a fast-growing
community like Montgomery. He
reminded council members that
schools get the lions share of the
tax rate, and there is no i'm
mediate prospect Of cutting back
school budgets. e
Mr.. Allen said the protests filed
for hearing before the Tax Ap-
peals Court are notSunusually high.
1--WE had about the same num-
Der Of protests when the last re-
assessment was made in the sub
urban area" he commented.
In appraising properties under
the current reaSSeSsment program,
the assessors decide what the re-
construction cost of a home would
be. then reduce the figure by 40
per cent. Then allowance is made
for depreciation and obSolescence.
The figure that remains goes on
the books as the assessed value of
the property.
Assessed at 6O% of Value.
The result is that properties are
being assessed at slightly less than
so per cent of the current market
value.
The suburban area is the last
section of the county to be reas-
sessed under the five-year plan.
This plan called for dividing the
county in areas for the purpose
Of the reassessment. AS each sec
tion was completed. the new as
Sessments were placed on the
books. thus insuring an increased
tax base in each budget year.
When the current reappraisal
is completed next May, the county
will begin reassessing under a
new law which requires a COM
plete reassessment every three
years.
Mr.. Allen feels the new plan
will eliminate the cause Of many
complaints between the various
sections of the county. |