The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-02-22
NO TAX REFORM NOW
City Attorney BOhmrich Reports That
There is No Way to Increase the
City Revenue at Present.
LOOKS FOR LEGISLATIVE AID

German There Will Be No Registry OF
Electors This Year.
There is no hope for tax reform IN
Kenosha at the present time and it
seems that during the next two years
at least, the city will proceed to collect
taxes in the same old manner, ana
each year will plunge the city deeper
into debt. A short time ago City
Attorney Bohmrich was asked to pre-
sent an opinion to the city council in
regard to the possibility of the city in
creasing the funds raised by taxation.
In response the following opinion was
read last evening:
To the Honorable Mayor and Common
Council of the City of Kenosha,
Wisconsin:
GENTLEMEN
Pursuant to my recent interview
with your honorable body regarding
the system of taxation now governing
the city of Kenosha, beg to say, that
I have given the subject careful con-
sideration and find that the appropria-
ton of the sum of $12, 10000 for har-
Dor improvements is the principal in
road made in funds available, being an
appropriation for an important public
! improvement outside of the usual
| course of municipal expenditure. 1t
is further apparent that the revenues
of our continually increasing munich
pa1ity are growing from syear to year
| more insufficient to meet the ob1iga-
tons of the city contractura1 or gov
| ernmenta1. This is mainly due to the
everywhere prevailing evil of unequal
valuation of the taxable property and
the escape from taxation of large in
terests of personal property which.
should by right contribute to bear the
burdens of government.
The first feature could, in meas
ure at least, be eliminated by chang
ing our present mode of assessment in
adding to our charter, by adoption,
some of the provisions of the general
charter. But after due consideration |
deem this not advisable at this time,
for the reason, that the last Legislature
has caused the creation of a commits
sion which is now at work, so that we
may expect a thorough reform, by
reason of the Investigations of this
commission, in our general tax sys-
! tenn at the hands of the next 1egis1a-
! ture. The fact that citizens pay tax
! of five per cent. is in SO far mislead-
ing, as on a valuation of only rs per
cent. of the real value of the taxa bic
property within the city, compared
with the amount actually paid for
/ taxes, the present rate does not ex-
coed the amount of two per cent.
AS to the second feature above men
toned, I might say that it has been
estimated by authority that only six
per cent. of the personal property
within the state pays taxes, the rest,
by some scheme or other, has been
! successful to escape taxation. This
| evil we may also hope to see partially
+ at least, remedied by the next 1egis-
j 1ature as the result of said tax commits
siOns work.
1 am therefore, of the opinion, that
! for any reform in the method of tax
alton for the city of Kenosha, would
! be inopportune, and that it would be
advisable to first await the action of
! the next legislature on the report of
the State Tax Commission, and SO
avoid a second change within COM
parative1y near future.
Dated Kenosha, Wis, Feb. 10, 1900.
Respectfully submitted,
LOUIS G.. BOHMRICH,
City Attorney.
The meeting of the council was
very tame one and very little business
of importance was transacted. The
liquor license transfers, among which
were transfers from Henry N. Beck to
J. w. Rose, of Commercial Hotel fame;
| J. H. Shelby to Harry T. Robinson and
! H. N. Beck; Michael Link and F..
Zeyen to Roth & Bienneman, came up
and were referred.
A petition was personally presented
by gas machine company asking per-
mission to put a generator in Mrs.
Ful1er's restaurant on Main street.
This matter was referred to the COM
mittee on fire department, with the
chief added, withspower to act.
The committee on claims, who have
been considering thespetition of John
7. Yu1e,a for rebate in his sewer tax,
recommended that the petition be
laid upon the table, and it took this
reference by unanimous vote.
The street and alley committee re-
ported that the city had received
a rebate of $4,000 for stone, presented
by the Northwestern railway company
for the paving ofsGrand avenue.
The council then took up the matter
of allowing bills, and the contractors
who have been waiting for some time
for a hit at the city funds, were ordered
paid as follows:
John o. Jones, S1542. IS for the Dem
ing and Chicago street paving.
Reichert Construction company,
$927.79 for the Pearl street paving.
! Rut1edge company, S7.95 balance on
Grand avenue paving.
DHandon & Thompson were allowed
$124.9 81 and Harding & Nelson $526.92,