The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-05-20
Financial Condition Of City will
Not Permit Any Further Public
Improvements This Year
CITY FACING LARGE DEFICIT
Continuing Contracts SO Large That All
Of the Surplus Monies Of the
city Must be Taken to
Meet These Bills


Public improvements in Kenosha in
The mex few months will have to be
few and decidedly far between as the
condition Of the finances of the city
viii not warrant the city taking up any
new work at all. The people in the
city who are demanding the grading
of streets and the changing Of grades
Will probably have to wait for this
work until another year. The Council
is willing to do this work, but the
city has no funds for the purpose. The
new members Of the Council when they
came into office had only a small
balance on hand and at the present
time there is less than $4,000 to the
balanee, Of the city In the bank and
this would be more than wiped out If
The city should pay up the outstand-
ing contracts. Tt is evident that i'm
pro1ement work in the next few
moHths must be LIMITED to- work which
will DO paid forapy the property own
ers and if the city is forced to bear
any large amount Of any work twill
haze to be leid over, ON the first of
Jdg The city treasury will be re
plantshed by the payment of saloon
licenses to the .amount8of $4,000, but
Of this amount more than $4,000 will
be needed for the improvement of
Market Square and the report of the
city treasurer WHICH was presented to
the Council last Monday night shows
that algeady several of the funds are
oveedrawn. The amount received for
licenses will be only a drop in the
bucket to the amount needed and the
total estimated receipts Of the city for
the next seven months will not be
enough Co meet the city's salaries and
pay roll. The Council has decided
that the funds must be kept intact
and if this rule is followed the work
in the various departments win have
to stop when the appropriations are
expended The members of the Coun-
Gil are determined that start shall
be made on the trunk sewer this year,
but the total appropriations for this
work win make possible only the build
inc of q lake front protection for the
sewer and possibly the laying of one
block of The pipe 1t is certain that
an effort will be made to get this
work started, but it is probable that
several of The aldermen will seek to
tafa the money appropriated for this
purpose anu divert it to some other
usa The work on Market Square is
10 be rushed as rapidly as possible and
this work will be completed this year
even if the city is forced to borrow the
money to pay the contractors 1t is
beginning to look like this step will be
necessary.
The members of the Council are
looking forward rather anxiously to
the next levy of taxes as it is declar
ed that an increase in taxes will be
an absolute necessity. The state taxes
will be larger this year and it is prob
able shat the proposed Improvement
Of the county jail will result in a
boost Of about ten thousand dollars on
the county taxes to be paid by the city.
All OF these things will demand an
increase in the tax roll. 1t is begin
ming to look as if it will be necessary
to return to the old plan of thirteen
mill tax for the coming year and even
with this large levy of taxes no great
amount of money will be in sight for
public improvements next year. It is
probable that the Council will now
inaugurate a system of rigid economy
with view Of keeping the over draft
at the bank for the year down to as
small sum as possible.