The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-07-30
New Mortgage Tax Law Cuts Assess
ment Roll Of kenos;la County
More Than Sl,00O,OOO
MAY RAISE RATE OF TAXATION
So Much of Intangible Property Has Been
Cut OFF That Increases Will Be Alb
goIutely Necessary.


who is in charge Of the tax assess
ments of the county, is busy complet-
ing his report for the secretary Of the
state and the report will show that the
mortgage tax law of the last state
Legislature has wrought awful havoc
with the tax roll of Kenosha county
and it is probable that on account of
reductions made in the assessment
rolls that it will be necessary to in
crease the rate of taxation.
Last year the intangible property in
the county consisting largely Of mort
was returned for taxation at over
million and quarter dollars and this
year the amount will not be in excess
of two hundred thousand dollars. Of
course, under the law, It is expected
that the taxes which were formerly
paid by these mortgages will be
assessed to the real estate but in many
cities it is claimed that the real estate
was already assessed for its full value
and for this reason it was impossible to
make any additions. A clear loss of
million dollars to the assessment roll
for personal property is the result of
the law in Kenosha.
Of course it is optionable with the
owners of real estate to have the tax
assessed to the holder of the mortgage
but in nearly every case the agree.
ment under which the mortgage was
made.iprovided that the owner of the
property should pay the tax on the
mortgage.
In the closing days of the work of
the assessor an effort is being made to
make up this deficiency by taxing
more of the personal and real property
of corporations and some of the values
Of property owned by private individu-
ais haveabeen given good boost. In
this way the supervisor states that he
is of the opinion that the final return
Of the assessors of the county and city
will show nearly the same result as
last year.
In the county the assessors of the
different towns have been ordered to
secure actual value Of I'll property as
sessed for taxation and this has been
productive of quite an increase. In
the city several of the factory assess
ments have been doubled and factories
which were last year assessed as dead
plants will this year pay on the total
valuation.
The decrease in the intangible prop
erty in Kenosha will be even greater
than it has been found in the county
and for this reason it seems certain
that the assessed value of the property
this year..will be decreased by several
hundred thousand, If not a million
dollars. This will leave the city in
sorry plight and with an increase of
state taxes evident it will be necessary
to make some increase in the rate for
taxing property in the city.
The money raised from the assess
ment of last year was insufficient to
meet the demands of the city for the
year and next year the deficiency will
be even greater. Many of the heaviest
tax payers in the city are in favor of
making an assessment which will
make it possible for the city to meet its
obligations.
ThisSyear the Etax was but one per
cent but it is urged that for the coming
year the tax be placed at one and one
half per cent. This would raise sufi-
cient money to allow the city to at
least start square with the world and
if necessary the tax could be reduced
the following year.
/ The levy will not be made until
October and for this reason there will
be plenty of time for the tax payers to
take the matter up.with the members
of the Council and arrange for levy
that will be fair to thes.property own
ers and to the city.