The Glacier reporter., 1963-04-25
Commissioners Explain Stand On
State Order To Reassess Property

According to state law you
shall start assessing the 1st of
March which we are doing
and are complying with the
law as spelled out in Chapter 19l.
Laws of 1857. an act providing
for the classification of lands,
and the appraisal of City and
Town lots and rural and urban
improvements in the State of
Montana for assessment and tax
alton purposes.
Glacier County has followed
along with the Commissioners
and the Assessors in the State of
Montana and have followed the
suggestions of the State Board
of Equalization wherever pos
sible and practical. But, with the
directive of March 29th, and ap-
pearing in print in the Cut Bank
Press, the Commissioners were
to appear at this hearing to
SHOW cause" why some classes
should not be placed higher and
lower.
We started assessing the 1st
of March, and received this pro-
posed change in the 1868 assess
ment on the 29th of March. Our
land classification director, MIR.
Richard Gallup, informed the
Glacier Board that it would mean
a actual difference of only S5,871
tax loss in the entire county.
This is less than half mill, and
is so small that it would not be
noticed. Yet it is estimated that
to lose this, we would have to
spend almost double this amount
in re-assessing. "If one of my
help came to me with a proposal
such as this, l would fire them
before they got started.
1T is the duty of the commits
sioners, and the Assessors to per-
form in their respective counties
carrying out Chapter 191, Laws
of 1857 in a manner such as the
State Board may direct but
the actual assessing is done by
the Assessor. This is the way it
should be done by the men
who have to work with the actual
taxpayer. This is getting. to
grass roots. Now the State Ad-
ministration claims they do not
want Federal Control of Educa-
ton, Welfare, and etc. Neither
does the County want State Con-
troll, and I'm quite sure the local
Cities do not want County Con-
troll. Let the men who have to
work the actual tax program,
work it. If the State Board has
the power of telling the people
just what their land is valued at,
from Helena, what power does
the Commissioners and Assess
ors have what is either duty
. why have them?"
"Mr. Fulton, your Chairman,
has stated repeatedly that there
are gross inequities' in the Com
'missioners of Montana program.
Just who is to Judge if these are
gross, three men on the Board
or Commissioners from Sc coun-
ties? | do not believe we have
gross inequities' in Glacier Coun-
ty, but / will be the first to ad-
nit we still have some inequit-
les and errors in the tax picture.
We are working to correct these.
And, regardless, five, ten, fiji
teen or twenty years from now,
we will still have some inequities
in many peoples minds, and
there will be errors. This is only
natural under any tax program.
We are still searching for the
correct tax program and with a
progressive work, someday may
have nearly complete equality.
But it is not coming overnight,
nor is it going to come without
cooperation from the State
Board of Equalization"
Glacier County opposes the
directive of March 10Th, but is
willing to work it into the 1864
tax program wherever practical
and feasible"