The Washington Critic

PROPOSED LEGISLATION

A New Method Devised for Assessing Real Estate.

Colonel Ludlow told a Critic reporter to-day that the Commissioners intended to get new legislation for the assessment of real estate for taxation. He said in the first place the triennial assessment law is unsatisfactory and there should be a continuous, or yearly assessment, because there is so much new property erected every year. The method of assessing the property, he said, was very defective. He said the city should be divided into districts to conform with the police or fire districts, or perhaps more numerous districts, and have assessors appointed permanently. He said great care should be taken to get men who are thoroughly competent to assess property. He is of the opinion that the revenues of the city can be materially increased without increasing the rate of taxation.

"The law requires that property should be assessed at about two-thirds of its value, and a large portion of the most valuable property is assessed at about 25 per cent. of its value," said he, "and we find a good deal that is assessed as high as it should be." There should be some uniformity about it.

Speaking of the $8,000,000 or $9,000,000 worth of new property built last fiscal year, as shown in The Critic's report, he said the city was in a very prosperous condition. He attributed this to the fact that Washington is a good place to invest money in real estate. It is a good place to invest because the real estate tax is very light, and the improvements free. To keep it so, he said, we must have an equitable assessment. Instances were cited where property brought $15 per foot at auction, while it is only assessed at $3.50 per foot.