Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 12, DeMotte, Jasper County, 18 February 1949 — Reassessment Bill Changes Being Urged [ARTICLE]

Reassessment Bill Changes Being Urged

Amendment On Real Estate Measure Will Be Attempted To Meet Objection Of County Officials Cold Amendment of a House bill calling for reassessment of all Indiana real estate in 1949 and 1950 will be attempted today to meet strong objections by officials of Indiana’s larger counties. Representatives Carl F. Davis, Crown Point Democrat, said taxing officials of Marion, St. Joseph, Allen and Lake counties had voiced fear passage of the bill in its present form would decrease total assessed valuations and therefore, force an increase in tax rates. Davis said he will offer these two principal amendments to the reassessment bill when it comes up on second reading in the House today: 1. That total assessed valuations for any township not be lower than that for 1948. 2. Removing the requirement for use of a manual of the State Board of Tax Commissioners in reassessment. The bill, as now written, provides valuation of buildings and other improvements shall be on the basis of 56 per cent of cost of reproduction in 1941. Davis’ first amendment would allow local officials to use percentage higher than 56 per cent in order to bring total valuation up to the 1948 level, not counting property previously omitted from tax rolls and improvements since 1948 assessments. Officials of South Bend, Mishawaka and Portage Township contend the present reassessment bill would double the present property tax rates and discourage new business from coming to the area. They say it would lower South Bend property valuation from $160,000,000 to approximately $80,000,000, according to the estimate of Edward F. Voorde, Portage Township assessor. Davis emphasized yesterday that the intent of the bill, of which he is co-author with Representative Alpha Hoesel, Kewanna Republican, is neither to raise or to lower valuations. “What we want is equalization,” Davis said. He said use of the manual appeared to be the “stumbling block” motivating opposition to the bill by several representatives who feared that it would take away the discretionary powers of local taxing officials. “We don’t intend to take away any of the responsibility of elected officials,” Davis said. He also pledged that all appeals normally available to the taxpayer are preserved in his bill. It would repeal a reassessment act passed by the 1947 Legislature and postpone completion of the reassessment from 1949 to 1950. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Heimlich of Cincinnati, 'Ohio, are being congratulated on the birth of a boy, born February Ist. He weighed 8 pounds and 11 ounces and was named Randall Robert.