Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-01-27
TAXES.

| OF your paper, IN an article entitled
"City and County Taxes" you say, "The
great increase in the county taxes is the
principal cause for high taxes in Wood
county, and that Is due to the great ex-
pense incurred in the Lord and Emery
murder trial. Nearly SIS, 900 has already
been paid by the county, and at least
5000 will have to be paid for the last
trial, and the end not in sight"
I notice this same expression was
copied with approval in late issue of
the Marshfeld Times, and from express
sions heard now and then, it would seem
that the idea expressed by you as to the
cause of high taxes is somewhat gener-
al among those who are ignorant of the
facts regarding taxes, and what amounts
90 to make up the total of our taxes.
With reference to what year are taxes
in this county high? Generally speak
ing, taxes are never said to be low. To
assume as you do, that taxes for 1897 in
Wood county are high, and then char ge
|
the county taxes" and then say that
the great increase ''is due to the great
expense incurred in the Lori and Emery
trial" is, to my mind, radically errone-
Gus and not supported by the facts.
Your statement is subject to the same
objection which you urged against the
Enterprise" for laying the blame of
high taxes upon the Republican party.
You have failed to count the whole
cost"
AS matter Of fact, the failure to coll
lect in Marshfield the taxes levied in
1895 and 1896, amounting to the sum of
about 81 900, on the Fox River Com
pany's lands, is one of the causes Of in
crease in county taxes. Had this tax
been paid, doubtless Marathon county
would have been paid, and suit, costs,
interest and expenses to a considerable
amount would have been saved, and
our county tax could have been at least
Sc sos lower than it is.
To pay the judgment of Marathon
county, and to pay Marathon county
for the expenses of the last trial, the
county board, at it's last session. levied
ST., 105, being $6605 for the judgment of
| Marathon county against this county,
and S., 500 for the expenses of the last
trial. The county tax of this year is
$l6,60 higher than the county taxes Of
last year. Chargeable, as | take it, to
three things: LIST. To the expense of
| the last trial of Lord and Emery; End
| To the failure in Marshfield to collect
the sum of 81, 900 during the past two
years; 3rd. To other increased county
expenses.
The state tax is 81 500 higher this year
than last, and yet, you say, that that
alone would make very little difference
in Centralia taxes. If we add this in
crease to what We are making up for
Marshtield's shortage during the past
two years, and the increase in county
taxes, outside of expenses for the last
trial of Lord and Emery, we will have
as increase in county and state, not prop
erly chargeable to the Lord and Emery
trial, the sum of $4,000.
County taxes have greatly increased
during the last five years, owing to
causes in no way chargeable to the
Lord md Emery trial. They have, I'M
| doubteGly, been too low some years,
and shortages have had to be made up
in later years. For instance, the county
| tax this year is $4,000 higher than it
was in 1892, and this year is more than
double what 1t was that year.
Corresponding increase in expenses
in most of the cities, towns, villages
and school districts Of the county may
be noted and generally explains most
of the larger increase in amounts of
taxes. Changes in valuation fixed by
assessors and boards Of review, is an
other item which wants to be considered
when counting the whole cost" and
seeking to explain why taxes are high.
1t is not always easy to explain why
taxes are high, if they are so, without
knowing all about local condition and
individual cases. Hence, to make a
general assertion as to whole county
that they are high because Of one item
alone being high, is, to my mind, radi-
cally wrong and misleading, tends to
prejudice and no good.
I say of the S12,100 now being col
lected in this county as part Of the
county tax to pay the expenses of the
two trials in Marathon county, as you
| did of the increase in state taxes, sit is
small item in the cause for high taxes"
nj this county. The city of Grand
| Rapids share of this amount is LIS
| The total amount of taxes levied IN this
city, and now being collected, is 49, 1856
Does not this amount of IFS seem
small when compared with this total
amount? 1t is only lis of the whole
sum. In other words, out of each SIS
paid by tax payer in this city, 81
goes to this purpose. Let me put it in
another way, Mr.. Editor. The tax
assessed upon your homestead in the
second ward of this city is $30.7S, lis
of this amount is $1.71 the share or part
you pay. Suppose this amount of IL
to be deducted from the total amount
paid by you on your homestead, the
taxes would then be S29.O7, fairly high