The Madison Street Assessment Mix-Up
A clerical error by the city has suddenly shifted the burden of sidewalk taxes, creating a financial mess for homeowners.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
An error was made by Clerk Osborne in reporting the assessment of Madison street, which causes a slight difference to owners west of Eleventh street and a considerable difference to owners east of Eleventh street. The grade tax will remain as previously stated. The mistake occurred in taking $40,000 from the value of property east of Eleventh street and adding it to the value of property west, for the sidewalk tax. The sidewalk tax east of Eleventh street will be $3.60 on the $100 and $9.40 on the $100 front. The combined grade and sidewalk tax will be quite heavy.
“The mistake occurred in taking $40,000 from the value of property east of Eleventh street.”
Municipal tax assessments have been a source of civic friction in Seattle since the city’s incorporation. The shift of tax burden between neighborhoods on the same street remains a recognizable grievance for property owners dealing with infrastructure and improvement districts today.
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