Idaho State Journal from Pocatello, Idaho • Page 5

If You're Going to Protest, Do It Now! By JUAN1TA RODRIGUEZ Journal Staff Writer a Assessor's i has a message for property owners within the county, and most residents will be receiving It via a yellow slip in their mail during the first week of June. According to county assessor a a a a i statements for property owners in Bannock County will soon be mailed out by his office. The notice will Indicate the total cash (market) value and assessed value of individual pieces of property. Lacy a i valuation statements are not tax notices. The latter will be' mailed out by the county treasurer's office later in the year.

However, the a a i estimate will be used to compute the property tax bill, Lacy added. He emphasized the levies for each taxing district are set annually, and once those are added together, the result is the total levy which is applicable to the assessed value of each property. The levies for each taxing district are certified by the county commissioners early in September and not by the assessor's office, Lacy stated. Market value of a piece of properly--that value which is NEVER ENDING PAPER WORK--Bannock County Assessor Ralph Lacy sits in his office with the tools of his trade, a pen and pad and calculator. His office is currently sending out property valuation notices.

(See story). Festival of the People May Flop This Year When Pocatello's parks and recreation bond proposal failed May 3, it may also have contributed indirectly to the demise of a special Fourth of July celebration--the Festival of the People--started last year as a special Bicentennial event. That was the consensus of several city a and recreation board members when that group met Tuesday night for the first time since the bond proposal-went down by a' nearly two-thirds negative vote. Last year's chairman for the event, Mrs. Helen Humpherys, appeared before the board and noted that last year at this time, arrangements for the Festival of the People had already been set up.

Mrs. Humpherys said it is almost too late to start planning the event for this year and that whoever takes over its responsibility is bound to get some kickback from last year's participants because of the late notice. Last year, Festival of the People consisted of a number of food concession stands set up by various ethnic groups in the i day-long entertainment, and games for children and adults. The event was held at Ross Park. "If you can find someone to do it, I will help all I can," she said, noting she can't be chairman this year since she will be out of town for an extended period.

Board members agreed the project had probably been neglected because the parks f.nd recreation board was concentrating its efforts on getting the swimming pool bond issue passed. Mrs. Humpherys suggested if the event is held this year, every effort should be made to draw the Indian and black communities into it and that new activities, such as a water ballet, be added. She also noted more publicity is needed. Saying he hated to be negative about the project, board member Chuck Heisler moved that the department of parks and recreation study the chances of holding the festival this year and then make a decision by the end of the week.

The motion passed with two Sharon Fisher and Joan Allred, abstaining. Ms. Fisher said she couldn't see how the event could be successful without having one person overseeing it as the chairman. Board members appeared receptive to the idea of having a theater troupe, the Blackstone Playhouse' players, put on a of summer performances' at Pocatello parks during the summer. a i i a representative of the group, said the theater group would like to put on four or five performances here as part of Its Theater In the Parks" program.

Their performances would have a "Commcdla del Arlc" format, she said, explaining that the play, "The Three Buffoons," would rely heavily on pratfalls and improvisations and would be set in a circus-like atmosphere with very few props needed. The play would provide action for the children and wit for the adults, she added, saying it would cater to "drop-in" audiences and would probably last about an hour. Direc'ing the perfromances would be a former visiting ISU professor, Evzen Drmola. Blackstone Playhouse hopes to perform in other area cities during the summer and is being financed by First Security Bank and private individuals, Ms. Koutnik said.

To perfrom at city parks here, the group is asking the city for $500, she said. Total budget for the summer program is $4,000. However, she pointed out that even if the city does not provide any funds, the theater group will probably perform at some city parks under the sponsorship of First Security Bank or other con tributors. Board members agreed Blackstone Playhouse would be a good choice to provide entertainment during Fourth of July celebrations at Ross Park, perhaps participating in an abbreviated version of Festival of the People. Heisler recommended the IF YOU'RE A you should find it easy to borrow at The BORROW UP TO $40,000 AT THE POCATELLO 341 W.

Clark Tel. 332-0570 MtocIMM Flrunelil Compiny ot KJtho, Inc. Blankenburg. Mgr. agreed upon between a willing seller and a willing buyer under no duress--is a fluctuating figure which can change from one day to another, thus causing the assessor's office a gigantic headache, Lacy said.

"It would be physically Impossible for any county in the state to have a perfect market price on any piece of property," he contended. However, if upon reviewing his valuation notice, a property owner believes the assessor's indecated market value (cash value) is in excess of the property owner's opinion or appraisal of value, then he or she a the assessor's office. "This is the time to correct any errors," Lacy said. The prime function of the assessor's office, is to take and maintain an inventory of all taxable property within the county and place a value on it in accordance with the rules and regulations established by the Idaho State Tax Commission and by using standard app a i a a i elaborated. The assessor does not raise or increase property values in order to increase taxes, he added.

Uniformity is the key word, Lacy stated. He admitted that achieving a degree of i i in assessing "like pieces of property" Isn't always easy, considering the fact Lacy's staff of five certified appraisers must asses 60,000 parcels of property within the county. Lacy recalled that when he took office in January 1969, he had one appraiser and 30,000 parcels of land to appraise. The county has experienced rapid growth since then. "Our field staff has been Increased, the plat room is used more, and the clerks are doing more paper work per person than ever before," he said.

In addition, a farm appraiser was added to the department three years ago. In the past, Lacy feels the assessor's office has been the target for disgruntled taxpayers who believe the assessor has a personal grudge against the individual and thus places an unfair assessment on property. "The assessor does not appraise people, but does appraise property as uniformly and fairly as possible," he defended. Lacy a i a a a i and overvaluations of properties can occur. It can all come down to the basic fact that one county assessor's office may use a 1969 or 1970 version of a "Cost Factoring Manual" to compute its assessments, while an assessor in another county may use an updated version, he said.

At present, Bannock County is using the 1975 manual which is a a periodically by the State Tax Commission. Bannock County is now entering its second five-year cycle of revaluation of property within the county. Following the first cycle which started following authorization by the state legislature in 1968,. the assessor's ollice now has a "good inventory of properties within the county," Lacy said. The original reappraisal or revaluation cycle was "a dog," according to Lacy, since the legislature "had no idea how to go about doing reappraisals and dumped the job onto the county a i a guidance." Until that point, many properties within the county had not been reappraised since the early 40s, Lacy said, adding that many property owners weren't too happy with his office when their new assessment notices and higher tax bills went out.

However, he hopes the second five-year cycle will go more smoothly with the aid of a new computer system now being installed at the courthouse. "We will be to reappraise properties in various areas of the county which will represent 'classic' or 'benchmark' he explained. For example, by reappraising two or three homes in a given residential area, the assessor's office will then have an Index to property of "like value." Use of the computer should begin In September, and Lacy predicts it will "revolutionize" the work of the assessor's office by providing an important data bank. "The quality of our work will be better, but we do have to guard against putting trash into it, because that's what we'll get out of it," Lacy said. Have Sell-Out PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia (AP) Lionel Hampton's octet, i i Frankie Dunlop, pianist Milt Buckner and the former soloist of Duke Ellington's big band, Cat Anderson, gave a sell-out performance in Prague's Lucema Hall.

The Czechoslovak news agency CTK said the Monday night concert was Hampton's first in Czechoslovakia in his almost 40-year professional career. city council allocate money for the group to perform here. The motion passed unanimously. What to do about the missing PR board chairman? That was a question board vice chairman Maureen Craven put to the board. Board chairman Louis Archuleta has apparently not been seen or heard of since just before the May 3 election, Ms.

Craven noted. "It appears we perhaps no longer have a chairman. He has not resigned formally, which probably would have been protocol. Therefore, I. would assume he is no longer a member of the board," she said.

Pocatello Mayor Donna Boe noted she understood Archuleta has a summer job in Idaho Falls, but had no further information. Ms. Fisher made a motion that the board wait for a month or two until "we learn what happened" before removing Archuleta from the board. Ms. Craven was; asked to' assume the chairmanship until Archuleta returns or is removed.

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