The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-12-03
Finance Committee of Council
Struggles vainIy in Effort to
Keep Down City Taxes
BONDS NEEDED FOR SCHOOLS
Committee Sees Tmpossibility of Pro.
viding Funds for Coming Year
Without Issuing Bonds for
New School Building

The finance committee of the Coun-
Gil held its first meeting to arrange for
the annual tax levy yesterday, but the
financial condition of the city was so
tangled that no solution was found and
the matter Of making the levy has been
laid over until another week. but the
report of the committee will be laid
before the City Council at it's meeting
one week from this evening.
The committee finds itself confronted
with a hard line of facts and it will
be a very difficult matter to provide
for the expenses of the city for the com
ing year with one per cent. levy.
Notwithstanding this fact there will
be little sympathy in the city with any
plan to increase the levy over that
of last year. The estimated expenses
of the city pruned to the closest point
for the coming year will be a. little
over $240,0C0 and one per cent. levy
together with the money received from
licenses and from all other sources will
bring in only a little over 1925, 5000
This will not of course provide for all
the demands made upon the city for
the coming year and it is certain that
the funds of the departments will be
cut and cut greatly The large amounts
expended this year in street work can
not be duplicated next year and if the
finance committee can find q way to
get money enough to meet even the
pressing expenses of the city with a
one per cent. levy they will consider
that their work has been we'll done
At the present figures before the com
mittee any plan for one per cent.
levy must include plan for the issue
of bonds for the building of the pro
posed school in the Third ward. With
a one per cent. levy the committee can
not provide for the $4,000 demanded
for this purpose and give to the funds
Of the various departments enough for
bare maintenance.
There has been a great increase in
the state ard county taxes to be paid
this year and there is also a demand
for an appropriation for the starting
of work on trunk sewer which the
committee has decided to meet. It will
be impossible to make this appropria-
tion large, but it will be made large
enough to start the work and with the
work started it is thought that it will
be found possible to get the money
from a bond issue with the consent Of
the people at the polls. The question
of bond issue for the building Of the
new school has the support of many
prominent business men and city Of
ficials who claim that this is the proper
way to provide the money for school
buildings The plan would be to
even tually issue bonds in the sum Of
100000 providing for the paying off of
the bonds at the rate Of ten thousand
dollars a year. This would spread the
expense Of the building over six years.
Of course it would cost the tax payers
a little more hut at the same time it
would be in smaller installments and
it would be easier for the people to meet
the payments than to make one big
levy to pay fer the building. It is
certain that many people in the city
are less able to pay taxes this year
than they were a year ago. Manu-
featuring concerns have pulled through
a hard year and they need all of their
ready cash in order to provide stock
for the re-oponing of a prosperous sea-
son. Tt is thought by the committee
that in another year the city will be
in better position to stand raise in
taxes.
Before the end of the week the mat
ter will be discussed by the committee
with prominent men of the city with q
view Of getting their ideas in regard
to bond issue or raise in the tax levy.
In order to meet the estimates made
for all the departments for the com
ing year levy of not less than
thirteen mills would be demanded.