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payers wh? do not own ~n automobile, or the automobile owners who do nor use the city-owned parking lots can
<br /> ~d~h~fc~pef~ s~gw~99, 729. of the taxpayers' money for the three new parking lots9 Or that the'hun
<br /> Y are not connected to the city sewer ~ ~ ..... ' ~ -
<br /> can sue the City9 -~ , .~ ar~ xoroen re pay a sewage disposal fee,
<br />
<br /> All we are asking for is a little relief and convenience. Relief for those who have
<br /> to pay ten cents per bank check plus three cen%s postage ~o mail in their payment to the City Collector, or for
<br /> the less fortunate who do not have s bank account and find it aecessary to use public transportation at a cost
<br /> of thirty-four cents to make a round trip to the City Collector's office to pay their water bill. Our proposal
<br /> would make it more convenient for the working people (who we believe to be in the majority) to pay their water
<br /> bills on a Saturday or in the evenings when the City Collector's office is closed.
<br />
<br /> If the banks and stores are willing to accept the paymenz of water bills at their
<br />place of business as they stated, at a loss to themselves for the convenience of their customers, the least the
<br />City Council can do is to adop~ our proposal.- Signed - Louis H. Keller, West Side Civic League
<br />
<br /> - P.E. Wnukoski, Westhaven Park Civic League."
<br />
<br /> Motion of Nr. Baker to suspend the rules to hear from interested parties, was adopted.
<br />
<br /> P.E. Wnukoski spoke in favor of the letter.
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Smith that a thorough and complete study of this matter be made, was
<br />adopted.
<br />
<br />adopted.
<br />
<br />of Portsmouth.
<br />
<br />58-69 - Motion of Mr. Baker to suspend the rules to hear from Jesse Alspaugh, was
<br />Mr. Alspaugh spoke with reference to the conditions of the water mains in the City
<br />
<br /> 58-70 - The following petition was presented .by M~rtin ~bbraham:
<br />
<br /> PETITION: We, qualified electors of this City, petition your honorable body
<br /> as the governing body of this City, to submit zo a vote in order ~o repeal, revise
<br /> or amend, pursuant to the provisions of the City Code, so as to remedy the conditions
<br /> outlined in the following discussion, the Omdinance heretofore adopted by you, which
<br /> amended Chapter 8 of the City Code of 1951, by adding thereto Sections 8-78, 8-80,
<br /> 8-81, 8-82, 8-83, 8-84, 8-85, 8-86, 8-89, 8-90, relating to the assessmen~ of real
<br /> ~state, the appointment of a single assessor, his duties, etc.
<br /> DISCUSSION: Putting into effect the new Single Assessor ordinance and its
<br /> new, applicable sections, has resulted in unreal, unreasonable, excessive and ridicu-
<br /> lous assessments of real proper~y throughout this City. This is true no~ merely in
<br /> isolated instances but as an overall preposition.
<br />
<br /> Portsmouth is one of the cities whose business activities were greatly s~epped
<br /> up, whose population was swollen and whose realty values were greatly exaggerated by
<br /> the business and activity created in war times and the demand of its war--swollen popu-
<br /> lation for realty.
<br /> It is hardly necessary to direct attention to the fact that the war values,
<br /> brough~ about by the demand for realty during that period, were not real values,based
<br /> upon any foundation, or economic growth, but rather upon the inflation then existing,
<br /> and which no longer exists, but which, apparently, is still believed to exisz as evi -
<br /> denced by the inflated size of the new assessments.
<br /> The Council is doubtless aware that with businesses closing and many sizeable
<br /> industries leaving or contemplating leaving here, business conditions in this and other
<br /> similarly situated localities, do not merit any increased taxation. There are many va-
<br /> cancies of stores, business properties, apartments and other residential and industrial
<br /> property. The owners o£ these properties are dependent either on the income from the
<br /> properties or upon the income from their businesses ~o pay taxes and other costs. Re-
<br /> duced receipts make this difficult. The increased assessments make it impossible.
<br />Because of general adverse business conditions, increasing unemployment, and
<br />prevalent absence of demand for certain types of rental units, it is ~mpossible to rent
<br />~he same at prevailing rental rates. To increase rental rates and thus pass on the in -
<br />creased taxes to tenants is, therefore, impracticable and would be unavailing.
<br /> Maintenance costs and the prices of such items as fuel, electricity, water,
<br />labor, etc. have risen over the pas~ few years to such proportions that it is already
<br />difficult for the owner of rental realty to get any reasonable return upon his inves~-
<br />men~ in such property. Increased realty taxes caused by the new assessments which re-
<br />suit in increased eosme of operation, make this impossible.
<br />
<br /> It is the wish of business interests in the City to attract new industries
<br />to the City. The great increase in realty taxes because of the general out-of-line in-
<br />creases in assessments will undoubtedly discourage new industry from locating here. It
<br />is already causing many of the industries already here to move away or consider moving
<br />away to localities where the realty ~axes are inducements rather than deterrents.
<br /> Real property and home ownership are the very root of permanent location and
<br /> residence in the City. The establishment o£ unreal and unobtainable real property values
<br /> will only discourage realty ownership. It has already become evident tha~ this is com-
<br /> ing about because all activity of any kind in real property has virtually stopped since
<br /> the new assessments ha~e been mailed.
<br /> The new overall assessments are so high as to amount of confiscation. If the
<br /> City Government costs have gone so high they can only he met by confiscating all privately
<br /> owned realty, then they are too high; they will no~ be met anyway in this manner, and
<br /> they must be cur~ailed.
<br /> The undersigned realty owners and/or taxpayers and/or vo~ers of the City of
<br />
<br />
<br />
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