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About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1977)
10 - SANDY (Ore.) POST Thur«., Apr.l 28. 1977 (Sec 2) Salem Scene Small forest landowners appealing taxes on land (Ed. note: Salem Scene is a leg is la tive report provided for weekly newspapers by Jack Zim m erm an of Associated Oregon Industries.) County Boards of Equalization—those bodies to which property owners appeal their tax bills w ill begin hearing from distressed tax payers on Monday. May 9. Observers believe those boards might be swamped by petitioners, particularly in 19 western Oregon counties. Swelling the steadily growing number seeking redress this year, they reason, likely w ill be many of the 36.000 owners of small woodland property—the value of which has been in creased 100 to 150 per cent by order of the Department of Revenue The order, announced Feb. 23, raised previous forest land Highway transfer approved values 2.5 times in counties from Lane north and doubled true cash value in counties from Douglas south It is estimated the valuation in crease w ill cost affected land owners an additional $5 m illion this year. Separate Boards of Equalization have been part of Oregon law since 1871 and boards, as we know them, were authorized by the legislature in 1953 The transfer of the Canby Marquam Secondary Highway in return for the Boring County Road was approved last week by the Oregon Transportation Commission. The transfer was originally proposed by Clackamas County at the Dec 21, 1976. meeting of the commission with the un derstanding that Goods Bridge would have to be reconstructed at county expense Goods Bridge is a narrow structure with one-way traffic for trucks and buses on the Canby-Marquam Highway. The Canby-Marquam High way is 8 miles long while the Clackamas cows said udderly the best Clackamas County dairymen met recently to review the 1976 dairy herd im provem ent program and recognize high producing herds and cows. The Clackamas County Dairy Herd Improvement Assoc, posted it’s highest average milk production in the 50 years of the association. D a iry herd production awards went to the David Timm herd at Eagle Creek, which recorded 18,468 lbs. of m ilk per cow. The Timm herd also posted the greatest production improvement. High producing cow in the county was “Norma,” a seven- and-one-half-year-old Holstein from the Paul Weber herd in West Linn. Clackamas County cows are generally recognized as being above the state average in m ilk production. Boring County Road, which extends from the Clackamas Highway to the Mt. Hood High way. is 8.5 miles long Boring Road is in a rapidly developing residential area between the communities of Damascus and Boring It is functionally classified as a minor arterial, a classfication more appropriate for a state highway and e lig ib le fo r prim ary federal-aid funds, while the Canby-Marquam Highway is fu n c tio n a lly classified as a major collector, the classification that would apply to many county roads. In each county one member is named from the county court or board of commissioners. Another is from the budget committee or tax supervising and conservation commission. The third, chosen by the first two, is a lay member (non- office-holding freeholder). Taxpayers who believe their property is unjustly appraised (and taxed,) need only contact their courthouse to obtain a form to be filled out and returned before May 16. There is no charge, they don't need a lawyer to plead their case and they needn't even be present when the board considers their appeal. But only those who appeal can expect redress Even though a board may grant a reduction for a petitioner, his immediate neighbor cannot expect the same treatment unless he appeals also. Chances of gaining relief from an equalization board generally are pretty good, if the property owner makes a logical case. And forest land owners believe the revenue depart m ent's va luation increase provides them with a logical reason to complain. The in crease was invoked in ac cordance with law requiring those properties be appraised at market value. The depart ment conducted a study of forest land sales and came up with its figures as a result. Owners of forest land dispute the department's study and offered data on land sales in dicating market value was no higher than the year before They claim their records are more extensive than those produced by the state and reflect a more accurate picture of current values. They also claim the increase is a serious blow to the forest economy, which must practice intensified management of timberlands to sustain present production and employment. Private owners of forest land claim the valuation increase could remove as much as 120,000 acres of c u rren t m a r g in a l tr e e - g r o w in g property from economic in vestm ent for m axim um production. In land area, that represents forests growing on acreage equal to half the total size of Multnomah County. Upon announcing the valuation increases, revenue director John J. Lobdell said he recognized the hardship the action presents for owners of small timberlands. “ And it is not compatible with our goal of maintaining forest land in Oregon,” he said. “ But the law is clear—forest lands are to be assessed at market value.” attended a meeting Thursday in the Boring Fire Hall. The meeting was for comments on the zoning plan. He said persons should MHCC teacher noted for jazz contribution Hal Malcolm. Mt. Hood are following the lead of people Community College music like Hal Malcolm of Mt. Hoed in s t r u c t o r , r e c e iv e d C om m unity College in recognition in the March issue Gresham, who founded the of The Choral Journal, a Northwest Vocal Jazz Festival national publication by the nine years ago,” Grier wrote American Choral Directors This year MHCC w ill host the Association. Northwest Vocal Jazz Festival Journal w riter Gene Grier, in w ith guest vo calist Joe the jazz a nd show choir column, Williams on May 21 Williams discussed the increasing previously performed with the popularity of vocal jazz, swing Count Basie Band and show choirs in education More than 3,000 students and the need to develop criteria from high schools throughout for judging these groups in the Northwest are expected to competition. participate in the festival “ More and more directors < Since 1932 GRESHAM TV & RADIO 750 NE Hogan Or. Between P ow ill & Burnside 665-6125 * Featuring Antenna Installations WE’RE OPEN MOTHER’S DAY SUNDAY, MAY 8TH Featuring food for the Entire family at Prices You can Afford, since 1960 GOOD FOOD economy BANG posts map for input on changes posted after about 70 persors Service Specialists /////Y ' In “ Black Comedy,” student Mark Haacke plays a young artists whose hopes of selling his works to a wealthy art collected are frustrated by a blown fuse and a comic conflict among several people involved during the sudden electrical blackout. pinpoint their property and then comment on how they would like it zoned The map w ill be posted for two weeks and then w ill be brought to the county planning staff. The citizen recommendations w ill be included in a group of amendments to the zoning plan that w ill be presented to the county board Welden said BANG w ill review the recommendations with area rseidents at a May 19 meeting before it is submitted to the county board STEREO Restaurant | Rounding out the cast are Lori Workman, Kay Jaggers, “ White Lia rs” features a Steve Joachim, Dan Sanders, woman fortune teller caught in Jim Bradley, Phyllis Boyer and a conflict between a rock Tim Gileron. musician and his manager A second spring theater MHCC student Berta Limbaugh w ill play the fortune teller. production at MHCC w ill be Students Jerry Lambert and “ Man of La Mancha,” directed R ichard Melo. P er Dan Cathcart play the two men, by formances are set for the end of and Tim Watts w ill be heard as May and the first week of June. a voice from the past. BORING—A copy of the Boring-Kelso zoning map approved by the Clackamas County Commissioners is posted in the old B orir^ Post Office building for persons who want to comment on the way their property was zoned. BANG President D ick Welden said the map was IJ lijli Lobdell encouraged forest land owners to seek relief by legislative action and several bills address the problem during current deliberations in Salem. Organizations of timberland owners are actively pursuing passage of new laws but they also are urging members to seek immediate relief from local Equalization Boards If appeals at that level fail, they intend to continue their pleas through the Department of Revenue and the Oregon Tax Court. Crux of their argument w ill be that market value of their land was greatly inflated by the state study. And yet another burden, heaped upon those they presently carry, w ill only serve to reduce that value further. One owner of a small timber tract bemoans the fact taxes on his land, trees and payroll —coupled with government regulations, restrictions and fees - present a bigger threat to his forest than fire, disease and insects combined. Two one act plays open MHCC spring Two one act plays by Peter Shaffer w ill open the Mt. Hood Community College Players spring season later this month. The two plays, “ White Liars” and “ Black Comedy,” w ill be presented April 29-30 and May 6-7at8p.m. in the MHCCStudio Theater. Director is Dave Spooner, college theater in structor TV AIR-CONDITIONED OBIE’S M otto— Come Back! Come Back! LUNCH Buffet SERVED 11:00 to 4 ‘2.00 ^COMFORT DINNER SERVED 4:00 to 8:00 Ages: Under 6 - 50“ 6 to 11 -»1.00; 1 2 -6 5 -* 2 .9 5 65 & over - *2.50 CLIP 6 SAVE FO R O N E FREE M E A L One Ages Child: FREE 6 to 11 OR 2 Children: FREE Ages 2 to 5 O ffer Good til June 1, 1977 With This Coupon Your Host "OBIE" Snow offers true hospitality and relaxing prices. 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