Minutes 09/27/1932 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

September 27th, 1932. record ~o~ the city and for each individual, property owner in the city. You doubtless know that no appropriation was re auested for these maps and they were completed with the assess- merit approoriation, and with~he assistance of the regula~ office help at hand. -~ing the early part of 1930, this work was begtum~ with the help of a force of technicians especially trained in this work, and was co~ordinated with the actual assess- ment so as to insure the highest possible efficiency. The entire force, consisting of two assessors (appointed by the 0otu~cil) one ~hief Clerk, two stenographers, two d~aftsmen, and one advisor, was kept within the to~al appropriatinn of $23,500.00 (~ucluding $7,500.00 for the E~ualization Board. Thzs compares ~avorably w~tn the two ~o~e- assessments which were for 1~20, $25,~.89 and for 1925, $13,893.93- This is particularly true when the. amount of work and results accomplished are taken into consideration, and also the fac~ that in 1925 only two men were employed. During the assessment and the preparation of the l~ud books, any number of duplicate assessments were discovered and a lames amount of unknown proper~y was found and assessed to the proper owners. The actual map system included the platting and draftingOf 198 individual slates_ , each showing an average of ll5 parcels ~°f .Pr°party. '= per plate, or a total of approximately 22,000 ~arcels of land within the city ootu~aar~s. These maps were completed at a nominal cost to the city. The-estin~te which I had made from ou~- side sources,~.to install such system, was approximately $15,000.00~ for this work alone.This system is now installed and has given mo the real e~ate dealer, ~ne a~torney, business man ~ · ~ ~h~ owner Or and average taxpayer, an index by wnlcn he san at a moment's notice, ascertain + = record of any parcel of land situated within the corporate limits of the oily; a service which heretofore was almost impossible. The Engineering Department of the Oity as well as the individual, is enabled by these maps to see in graphic form a large area of individual proper~y owners when any project covering the ownership of considerable areas is ~der co~ sideration. There zsa potential savzngs zn ~u~ure assessments. If tnes~ maps are kept up zmpo~=z~ records should be, there will be exfected a saving of from 2D to 35~ in the cost of the 193~ re-assessment. These map~ are also salable to private individuals and corporation~ as a set, or by individual shee~s. However, the records are open at all times to all citizens, as the books are in the offices of the City 0ollector, Olerk of Oourt and Commissioaer of Revenue. The card index and key to the map remain in the Engineeri~ Department. Therefore, I recommend that the Council by ordinance se~ the prices of these maps and authorize the Engineering Department to handle the sales as se~ forth by the Go-~ucil. These maps are a decided advantage in the following ways: a) As assessmen~ records. f As a saving in future re-assessments. As an index to property ownership. ( ) As ~ guide to the corporation commission's assessments. This report is submitted for the counoi!~s earnest consideration and particular attention is directed to the revenue possible by sale of maps and s~vings in cost of futnre re-as $6 ss~t s. Eo~ion of Nr. Ogg to re,er to incoming 0ity Eanags=, was adopted. The following co~nnioations~ from the Oity Attorney w~re read: 1st - ~At your last mestzng ~o~ rsze=rsd ~o me th~ pe~z~zon?z mrs. Pe~l ~'illi~ms re=uestAn~ that the s~ of ~i500.00 be accepted in zull sat.iszaction of all t~xes due on the prooerty ~17-~19 Gouty Street and the lot adjoining ' I find that the taxes were not paid on~thi~ property ~or the ye~ 188i ~ tne~ name of ~ura F. ~nd ~de Trugien ~ounting to $33.~,ana fo~ the years 1892 190~, 1907~ana 1908 zn ~he name o ~. O. ~ooks and wife and La~a Trugien amount~g to $13~7~.92, ~nd for the years 1922 to 1932, inclusive, in the name of J.S. Grawford et als., ~mo'~t ing to This property has-been -~der levy by the Oity Collector for some consi- derable period but iz in a delapidated oomdition ~d very little rent has been realized thereZrom. It is ~ssessed for ~he s'~ of $~930.00. The ~ax~s due for the years 1881, 1892 ~o 190I, inclusive, are now ~collectable by reason of the fact that they hav~ been relieved by ~ Act of the General Assembly of Virginia. Those assessed for the years 192~, 1923 ~d 192~ are ~oollect~ble by re~son of ~he fact ~hat they were chargeable against Herm~ Craw- ford, who bald a l~e interest in the property and our c~rter maki~ t~xes a lien age. inet property in the ~nds of remaindermen was no~ amended, until the year 1924. This leaves the t~es. due fo~ 1902 to 1908, inclusive, and 1925 to 1932, inclusive, amounting to the princi- pal s~ of ~3,012.2~ due sad collsctable.- I believe it would establish a bad precedent for the city to accept the offer Df $1500~00 made by ~s. Pearl E. ~illiams, ~less it should be defecated that this is all that ~uld be realized from a sale of the property. ~ Notion of E~. Noore to ref~e the offer of mrs. Pearl E. ~illiams was adopted. 2nd - ~At your mee~no held on September 13, 1932, yon'referred to me the fol- lowing matters: (1) Letter from ~r..John C. Niemeyer asking that the property belonging to the R.J. Neely Estate a~ ~he northwest corner of ~ter and Q3~een ~treets be relieve~ of $31.~0 on the 1932 taxes, the same being based on a reduction in the assessment of $1200.O0. I find that the Neely property was partially burned on Nay 29, 1931, and according to-the adjustments made by the insurance companies the property suffered about a 3~ loss and the Commissioner of Revenue should have reduced the assessment accordingly. I think, therefore, that the R~J. Neely Estate is entitled to the relief o£ $31.80 on the 1932 taxes, as re Gues~- ed by the Oommis~oner of Revenues (2) Recuest of 0ommandsr H.E. Harvey for a r~fund of $5.00 overpaid on his automobile license ta~ for the year I932. It appears that Er. Harvey was, by mistake, charged Fifteen Dollars instead of Ten Dollars for.his automobile license and he should be