Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-01-10
TY-EIGHTH YEAR
The City Taxes.


ton or $500 on an assessment of
$1,000. The tax for the city pur-
poses is only $50 more than last year;
the state tax is less. The increase in
the taxes is due to an increase in the
county tax, in the school district tax
and largely to an increase in the town
tax. Last year the town tax was
$500; this year it is So. 800. OF
this the city of Lancaster pays more
than one half What becomes of this
town tax money paid by the city?
Except the trifie that is used as poor
I fund it goes wholly for the benefit OF
the town outside of the city. The
town outside of the city is wealthy.
It's average percentage of taxation is
this year only 81 as against 3.57 in
the city. The town is in no such
want that the overburdened tax pay
els should bestow charity upon it.
Then why does the city have to pay
the larger part of this So, 800 town
tax from which it derives practically
no benefit? Because and only because
under its special charter the city is a
part of the town for town purposes.
BY adopting the general charter for
cities as Platteville has just done, the
CITY would be divorced from the town
and escape all town taxation. 1t
would also be entitled to increased
representation upon the county board.
The cities of Mineral Point, Dodge
Vile, Richland Center and Prairie du
Chen years ago wisely threw up
their special charters and adopted the
general charter There were then
left in this part of the state, BoscObel,
Lancaster, Darlington and Platteville
as the only cities under special char
tiers that made the city part of the
town. and now that Platteville has
thrown off the yoke it is believed that
the three remaining cities named are
the only ones in the state that occupy
this peculiar position. With Bosco-
bel the present condition does not
matter so much as nearly all of the
population and wealth of the town is
in the city. Darlington does not
feel the disadvantages of the connec-
ton between city and town as we do
for under its charter each ward has a
representative upon the county board,
and there has always been a Just APP
pOrtionment of the town road tax be-
tween the town and city.
OF the s., 800 town tax now being
collected S., $50 is the road tax voted
at the last annual town meeting.
Notwithstanding the city pays more
than half of this. the intention of the
board is that the whole sum shall be
expended upon highways outside of
the city limits, and our common
council will submit to this. Our
other common councils have done so,
and the present council last year
showed no desire to secure justice to
the city as to the road money. The
city is entitled to a just proportion of
the road tax levied upon the entire
town. Section 81 of the charter
makes the city of Lancaster road
district of the town of Lancaster.
Section 55 says: ''Of any appropria-
lions made at any annual town meet
ing of the town of Lancaster for high
WAYS and bridges in said town just
proportion shall be expended when
necessary upon the highways and
bridges Of said town, within said city
and shall be so expended under the
direction of the common council of
said city, and the supervisors of said
town NAV from time to time appro-
priate a reasonable sum therefrOm
for the necessary repairs of highways
and bridges within SAID city and
cause the same to be paid into the
city treasury to be so expended under
the direction of the common council.
The reasonable construction of this
provision gives the right to the city
ofIancaster to a fair share of this
money! right which the law will
enforce The special charters of
Platteville and Darlington contain a
similar provision and each OF these
cities has always received proper
,ion Of the town road tax. 1t borders
rpon an outrage on the taxpayers OF
the CITY that the large amount OF
money they pay towards the town
road tax should all be expended upon
roads outside of the city limits, and
that they in addition must be taxed
to build and keep in good repair the
roads and sidewalks WITHIN the city.
or if they fail to do 50 the city will be
liable to Judgment for damages il
an accident occurs by reason OF a de-
fective walk or street. Although the
city is a road district" Of the town
% Lmcaster. the town Of Lancaster
would not be liable to pay anything