TAX RATE IN BROWN SOARS 57 PER CENT
State Auditor Bay P. Chase Throw Light on Tax Problems in Booklet Just Published.
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IMPROVEMENT DEMAND
REASON FOR INCREASE
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Every Section of State
Affected by Upward
Tendency.-Interesting Statistics.
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“The Path of Your Tax Dollar,” is made the subject of a booklet compiled by Ray P Chase, state auditor, and published by the Taxpayers’ association. The publication contains considerable valuable information and shows that the genial state auditor spent many hours in digging deep into the records of his office to secure the necessary data.
Brown and Nicollet Counties.
County ‘axes have increased materially in Brown and ‘Nicollet counties within the past ten years. The state auditor outlines that the increase is doubtless due largely to economic improvements rather than administrative service. The service in the average county tax rate throughout the state is 88.4 per cent within a ten-year period. The average rate for taxes collected in 1914 was seven mills and for taxes collectible in 1924, 13.19 mills. Most of this is due to material improvement, but much of it, beyond question, is a service charge.
In 1913 the tax rate in Brown county was 5.87 mills and in 1923, 9.20 mills. This is an increase of 57 per cent. This may sound exorbitant, but there are but 15 counties out of the 87 that have a less degree of increase. The one having the smallest increase over the ten year period is Lincoln. The increase in that county, was but 3 per cent. The Journal doesn’t attempt to state the reason. When one travels over that county, it seems that there has been a lot of highway work accomplished during that period.
The increase in Nicollet county is 64 per cent. In 1913 the rate was 5.97 mills and in 1923, 9.80 mills. The increases in nearby counties follow Blue Earth, 22 per cent; Cottonwood,49 per cent; Redwood, 129 per cent; Renville, 29 per cent; Sibley, 107 per cent and Watonwan, 128 per cent.
Low in Delinquency.
Despite the fact that taxes have risen, the percentage of delinquencies is small. The total taxes collectible in Brown county in 1924 was 46.06 mills, the delinquent taxes were but 3.67 per cent. There are only 26 counties in the state with a better record. The county having the least delinquent taxes was Hubbard with .08 per cent. Next in line was Goodhue with 083 per cent. The delinquent taxes in the neighboring counties follow: Blue Earth, 3.67 per cent; Nicollet, 3.5 per cent;Redwood, 4.9 per cent; Renville, 4.5 per cent; Sibley, 1.35 per cent and Watonwan, 6.1 per cent. The highest per cent of delinquencies occurred in Mahnomen county where the per cent was 33. The average per cent of delinquency for the counties of the state is 11.45 per cent.
Taxes Getting Higher.
The state auditor states “That taxes are getting higher is beyond dispute. In 1912, a comparatively low tax year, the average rate for the entire state and all its units was 27.74 mllls. The average rate for last year was 59.47 mills, and this Increase in the rate has occurred coincident with and in spite of a continually increasing valuation. In 1923 no Minnesota county had a tax rate as low as the 1912 average for all counties.
In 1912 the state tax rate was 3.58 mills and in 1924 it was 5.78 mills.
Cause of High Taxes.
The report states “The original cause of high taxes and the primary cause of their continued and rapid increase is our demand for public improvement. The American people are progressive and ambitious, earnestly desiring the best for themselves and their children. In a state as young as ours, with an area so unusually large and a population so comparatively small, early acquisition of these improvements have placed a heavy burden on the public.”
Total Indebtedness.
The report contains the indebtedness of the counties, together with city, village, township and school district indebtedness in each. Brown county has a total indebtedness of $880,500. This is all in bonds, the major portion of which is ditch bonds and will be returned to the county in time. The indebtedness of the cities of the county totals $596,516.60. The sum of $26,800 is in certificates of indebtedness, while all the balance is in the form of bonds. Most of this indebtedness belongs to New Ulm. The village indebtedness in the county totals $36,525.25, while the township indebtedness is $40,406.04 and the school district indebtedness, $305,697.80. The total indebtedness of the county and its subdivisions is $1,859,645.69. Of this huge sum $1,770,227.38 is in bonds. Mortgaging the future has not only been the pastime of county commissioners and city councilors, but of township ‘boards and school district trustees. Interest is now being paid upon this indebtedness and the taxpayers of the county are coming across in higher taxes.
Same Almost Everywhere.
This is the same in almost every county but Nicollet county, however, has the distinction of having the lowest bearing county debt in the state, totaling but $179,000. The total interest bearing debt in the neighboring county, including the county, city, village, township and school district debt, is but $541,735.27.This is some contrast to Brown county. The total debt of all divisions of Nicollet county, including county, city, village, township and school district is about the same as the debt of the city of New Ulm.
The indebtedness of other nearby counties follows: Blue Earth, $1,973,168.76; Redwood, $2,300,880.38; Renville, $2,654,403.40; Sibley, $687,232; Wantonwan, $1,054,206.82. These figures do not include the indebtedness of cities,’ villages, townships and school districts, in these various counties.
Brown County Journal
Jan. 9, 1925