Evening star., 1953-11-28
Montgomery
Is Assured on
Tax Benefits
Nice Tells Hearing
Of Assessment
Plans in State


who live in communities where
an individual received a reduced
assessment on appeal to the
State Tax Commission will get
the same benefit next year,
That assurance came from
Deeley K. Nice. chairman Of the
commission as he met with
county residents in the new
Rockville County Office building
Mr.. Nice said that in supdi-
visions where one person mas
been granted a reduction In his
land or improvement assess
ments other residents with like
properties will get the same re-
lief next year. He said assess
mentn supervisors had received
these instructions from the
commission.
Only IS Attend Meeting.
Only about rs persons turned
out last night for the meeting
called by j. PAUL Marshall.
member of the House of Dele
gates. And about 20 of them were
county officials with a big pro-
portion of the others being
members of the HomeownerS
Tax League.
Mr.. Nice conceded there were
many counties assessing lower
than Montgomery and Prince
Georges. At the same time he
said the commission was going
to make the low counties toe
the mark" in attaining State
wide uniformity.
The commission chairman
added that within a year he ex-
poets to have the majority of
the low counties in line with
Montgomery and Prince Georges.
Some counties have been assess
ing at about half the rate of
Montgomery, where the assess
ment is about SO per cent of ac-
tual sales price.
Points to Montgomery Loss.
James P. Parker, attorney for
the tax league, said Montgomery
was carrying a diSproportionate
share of the State tax burden.
He added the county had lost
So million in five years in school
equalization funds as a result
of it's increasing asseSSable base.
At another point in the rough
and-tumble meeting Mr.. Parker
asked the chairman if he had
not been negligent in his duties
for not studying the Statewide
assessment picture on sales and
assessments before this year.
AS Mr.. Parker continued to
harrass the chairman he was
shouted down by the audience.
Bennett Applauded.
c. H. Bennett of the tax league
brought applause from the crowd
as he warned that the tax COM
mission and the county appeals
tax court would pay attention to
assessment protests next Novem-
ber.
Mr.. Nice said a law calling
for annual assessments of all
property was the best way to
achieve uniformity. But he
added it was a costly proposition
and it would be difficult to get
sufficient properly trained per-
Sonnel.
In discussing the recent sur
vey of Statewide assessment
results, Mr.. Nice said that ac-
tual sales values were not the
bases for assessment.
"Sales are more OF a guide
for testing the effectiveness OF
assessing procedures" he said.
Mr.. Nice was accompanied on
the stage by Montgomery AS
sesSment Supervisor Wilton t.
Allen. Mr.. Nice said he knew
of no other man in Maryland
who "has had more experience
in appraising and assessing
property or who had tried to
be more fair, than Mr.. Allen"
Assessments "NOt Taxes"
The tax commission chairman
digressed at one point from the
assessment situation to point
out that assessments "are not
taxes"
He said that budget hearings
at any governmental level draw
out persons supporting special
expenditures. He cited specifi-
cally supporters of public school
expenditures.
"The silent voice, if there is
one. is the person all in favor
of economy" he added.
Mr.. Nice added that in the
eight counties assessing between
as and SIS per cent of sales
values, assessors have been ad-
vised to take into consideration
equalization within their own
counties" and not to try to fall
in line with artificial real estate
values next year.
He predicted the situation
would be eaSed by a leveling of
of real estate values.
Frank r. Hewitt, jr., president
of the County Real Estate
Board, said Montgomery resi-
dents would get some relief il
the same imitation factor were
allowed on land as on improve
ments. Land now is assessed at
| it's full value.