The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-09-27
State Tax Commission Increases
Valuation for the County by
Nearly Three Millions
ASSESSORS STILL WORKING
State Commission Evidently Made Up
It's Figures Without Receiving
Returns From the County-No
State Tax Assessed Yet

Inc Wisconsin state tax commission
Monday announced its valuation of
all taxable property of the state for
this year. It is upon this valuation
that the so-called state tax is levied.
This state tax consists of the common
school tax, amounting to about ST.
100000; interest of state Indebtedness,
$157, $50; aid for graded schools, $780,
600; aid for free high schools, $780,
600; aid for state university, $565 900;
aid for state normal schools, $3.50, 900;
the total of all of which will be about
So. 400, 900.
There is considerable sentiment
among the three members of the state
board empowered to levy this tax
Gov. Davidson, Secretary of State
Houser and State Treasurer Kempf-
in favor of renting one-ha1f or more
of this So, 100000, or in other words,
1evying only about one-half of this
amount and taking the remainder
from the general fund of the state
treasury, as they have authority to
do.
The total valuation of all the tax
able property of the state this year is
fixed at So, 124, 800, 900 as against ST.
952, 700, 600 last year, an increase of
$172, 100, 900 or a little less than 10 per
cent.
The valuation of the real property
of the state is fixed at 81, 67l, 142, 2O4 as
against 81, 513, 335, 1872 last year, an in
crease of S157, So6,8 The valuation
of personal property is fixed at SASS,
657,796 as against $439, 1854 ,618 last
year, an increase of $14, 293, 179.
The largest increases are Of course
in the wealthiest counties, which are
Milwaukee and Dane counties. The
valuation Of taxable property in Mil
waukee county is fixed at S418, 354, :
900, IAN increase of $17, 372, $50 over
last year, and III Dane county $97, 0A5, :
$40, an increase of So, 785, AIS over last
year.
custom Of the commission to boost
kenosha county, aud the county was
not overlooked this year. The as
SCISSORS of the county have not as yet
made full returns to the commission
and it is evident that the boost for this
county which is in the neighberhood
of three millions was made on general
principles.
The total valuation of Kenosha
county by the state tax commission
this year is $27, 1854, OIL, while last
year the total was $24, $40, $50. The
great increase by the state commits
sion has been made in the value of
real estate in the county. The real
estate this year is valued at S21, 271,-
480, while last year it was valued at
$18,828, 1856. The value of the person
al property is increased only few
thousand dollars Last year it was
$6,041, 654 and this year it has in
creased to $6,O63, 431.
During the last few months agents
of the state commission have been a
work this county looking into the
sale values of property sold during
the year and it is evident that these
figures we're used in making up the
valuation by the commission. It is
not known how this valuation will
compare with that made by the as
SCISSORS, as the reports of the latter are
not as yet in, but it is thought that
the valuation by the commission will
be at least four or,five millions greater
than that returned by the assessors.
It is possible that the agents Of the
county will appear before the commits
sion and protest against the valuation
but as the amount at issue is small
when the taxes have been levied, the
people of the county may not see fit
to waste time in seeking a reduction.
With an increase of $172, 900, 900 for
the entire state there is no doubt that
Kenosha, as one of the smallest coun-
ties in the state, is bearing her full /
of the increase. Nearly
every county in the first congressional
district shows similar increase.