, 1961-04-04

VOL III TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 1861 NC. n
THE NEW PROPERTY ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
ment system now being installed in the Virgin Islands. It
describes the system itself: the second will deal with its
effects on valuation; the. third. concerns provisions for infor-
NAL explanations Of revised assessments to individual pro-
perry owners.
A complete reassessment Of all real property in the Virgin IS
lands has Just been completed. Final results will be turned over to-
the Government Secretary before March 81 On that date, assessment
schedules showing in detail each piece OF land and Improvements
thereon will be made available for public inspection, an shortly
thereafter tax bills will be sent to owners
The sReassessment Study
The reassessment survey was started in September 1853, and
was scheduled to be completed this month The basic system was de-
signed by the San Juan management consulting firm Of Colett and
Clapp; the actual appraisal process was performed by local staff who
received special intensive training and worked under the technical
guidance Of the consutants. Members of the firm Of Collect and
Clapp have done similar work for numerous public jurisdictions, IN
cluding Puerto Rico, Hawaii Houston and Austin, Texas Berkeley
and Bakersfield, California and others)
The new system includes a complete set Of tax or "cadastral"
maps land value maps, appraisal cards, building and construction
costs, and a detailed manual which describes methods Of appraisal
employed during the project and to be used in the future. These con-
stiute the elements Of q sound, modern property assessment system
Based on successful results elsewhere, but tailored to meet the spe-l
cial needs of the Virgin Islands the new system should be second to
none under the American flag.
Tax Maps
More than 800 tax maps have been prepared which, together,
COVER the three Islands and show each parcel of property existing On
the statutory assessment date, January Is. The maps have been pre-
pared by grids and tie d into official Geological Survey Maps Of the
y. S. Department Of the Interior.
Consideration is also being given to reproducing copies Of the
maps and putting them On sale to interested parties at prices repre-
senMng cost to the Government.
Appraisal Records
More than $4,000 parcels of property were found to exist during
the reassessment study; a substantial number of these had not ap-l
peared in earlier assessment records Each parcel is now recorded on
a separate appraisal card which shows the legal description OF the
property, its dimensions and area. Following modern assessment
methods, the cards also contain complete information affecting land
values: Typographical characteristics, street improvements, available
utility services, and other data. Rural land Information includes in
addition, such information as access to roads, rainfall, soil classihca-
ton, erosion. drainage and stoniness.
These factors are used to modify the unit values which are de-
rived from detailed analyses Of recent bona fde sales, capitalization
of income and rents from land, and other relevant data assembled
during the reassessment project
Building Apprasas
The cards also show detailed information concerning improve
menfs which may exist. Each building has been diagrammed and It's
characteristics recorded, including those relating to foundations
floors. walls, root, ceiling, dmiIlwork, electrical fixtures and outlets
and plumbing facilities.