The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-11-15
Supervisor of Assessments Has
His Figures Ready for the
County Board
BIG INCREASES IN kEN0sAA
Supervisor viii Urge the considera
ton of New Way for the Making
of Assessments Conditions
in the City of Kenosha

Supervisor Of Assessments William
Ell. Harrison Thursday gave to the
public his annualr port to the county
board and it contains some interesting
reading. The supervisor goes into the
subject Of assessment at length and
has a great deal to say of the duties
of himself as an official and Of the
Struggle that he has been making to
secure a more equitable, assessn e at of
the property In the county He adj
mits that there are still many irregu-
larities in the assessment rolls Of the
city and county, but insists that he Is
rapidly adjusting matters and that
the showing in Kenosha county Is
much better than in other years. In
speaking Of the assessments in the
city, he says.
"The conditions existing in city
district show a decided Improvement
over former assessments on personal
property. We have succeeded In get
ting $1,540,000 more out Of the tao
tories, but am not satisfied yet.
Your 1sestate is very unequal. Al
few pieces out of many will bring to
your attention and | desire to have
this honorables board and others bear
in mind that insmentioning any names
it is notsand should not be considered
personal, butsto show how they have
done their official work which the law
requires Of me.
1T iszno pleasant task to show up
the conditions as they exist; never
theless, it is quite necessary, in the
matter Of real estate. I endeavored
to have them go-by the normal sale
values, but am sorry to say that they
did not consider the sale values as 80
claimed.good evidence to go BY, aud
in filing my recommendation to the
board Of review I desired to avoid the
necessity of calling for a reassessnent
and suggested to said board of review
that they sit in session two or three
weeks aud call IN real estate men and
equa1ize the values, this saving a
large expense to the district for a re-
assessment. To my surprise the city
clerk remarked that he did not. COM
slider real estate men good evidence
on assessments. That answer was d
sumner. As for myself, when | have
wanted TO post myself on values out
side of sale values, / have consulted
real estatesmen, and when have de-
sired legalgadvice / have consulted an
attorney. | don't think it would have
been good policy to have done oppo-
site. / don't believe that you will
ever have equity in your assessments
as long as your assessors are elected
as they are at present. There was
an effort made in the last legislature
to adopt something similar to the Ne
braska law IN having the governor
or tax commissioners appoint county
assessor and he to appoint his own
deputies and be accountable for
them. / am satisfied it would be an
provement, but would favor the
tax commissioner for the reason that
each branch of the state government
is better qual1hed IN its own line, and
being non-political body would Sc
1ect men for said county assessors for
their capability and not for some po-
litical pu1lsthey might have. should
like yourAopinion on the subject as
early as3your January session.
II am still in favor of having the as
sessments published in our local pa
pers, believing it would tend to a
more equitable assessment. / have
given you the judgment of one thou
sand persons in my testing under sale
values"
In speaking Of the increase in
assessments ofapersona1 property in
KenoshasMr. Harrison shows the fol-
lowing changes:
ut1f