The Supervisors Equalize

The Supervisors Equalize

And Add $165,000 to the Value of the City of Ann arbor

The board of supervisors equalized be assessments of the cities and townships yesterday. The committee's report was adopted without a yea and nay vote. It raises the city of Ann Arbor $165,000 over last year, the first district of Ypsilanti 125,000, the township of Sylvan $10,000, and York $10,000. Angusta, Manchester, Webster and the second district of Ypsilanti were left the same as last year, while all the other townships were reduced as follows: Ann Arbor town 10,000, Bridgewater $12,000, Dexter $16,000, Freedom $16,000, Lima $15,000, Northfield $1,000, Pittsfield $13,000, Saline $15,000; Scio $22,000, Sharon $13,000, Superior $13,000, Ypsilanti town $12,000.

Supervisor Lighthall wanted to know why the committee had seen fit to raise Sylvan $10,000, when the village of Chelsea bad purchased the waterworks and the electric light plant, taking $30,000 off the rolls. He said, with considerable truth, that the business of equalizing was one of the biggest farces enacted. The only fair way to equalize would be to have a committee appointed in some way outside the supervisors who had made the assessments, who could take time to travel about the county and would have some knowledge about what they were doing.

Supervisor Whitaker asked if he thought there was $290,000 difference between the townships of Scio and Sylvan and Mr. Lightball thought there was more than that.

This was all that was said. A little study of the result may reveal something of the way in which the equalizing may have been done. A raise of the two cities was to be expected although the feeling over the Canfield bill may have increased it. The other three members of the committee each got a reduction of $16,000 for their towns. These were the only towns which got this reduction and it was tbe largest reduction made except that of the home of the chairman of the board. The fight over the Canfield bill also probably cut a figure. Mr. Allmendinger's fine Italian hand may be traced. He was a member of the committee. He probably expected Lighthall's support in his fight against the Canfield bill. He didn't get it and hence Sylvau was a fair mark for him. Bibbins at first voted againt the Canfield bill, but later turned aud moved the compromise which carried. He got his pay in being denied a share of the swag. Burtless was another supporter of the bill as was Mclntyre and MoCullough and they were also shut out in the division. Of course these things were not talked. If they had been they could not have been accomplished.