The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-07-21
LOSE ON PERSONAL RETURNS
Increase in Valuation Not Expected to
Be Large Enough to Make Up De-
felt Without Increase in Rate of Tax
Levy.

At the meeting of the board of re-
view held on Tuesday it was announc-
ed that the city assessors had complet-
ed the work of making the annual as
sessment of the real estate in the city
and it is announced that the valuation
of real estate and Improvements in the
city will be slightly in excess of the
record making valuation of a year ago.
The assessors are not as yet ready to
give out the figures and these can not
be given out until after the sessions of
the board of review as it is possible
that slight changes will be made in
the assessment before it is copied into
the final record for the year.
The plan of assessment followed was
practically the same as last year but
there has been an unusually large
amount of building in the city during
the year. Large factory buildings have
greatly increased the assessment of the
real estate of the big industrial plants,
the increase for the Simmons Manu-
featuring Company and The Thomas B.
Jeffrey Company being worthy of es-
pecial note. In the third and fifth
wards of the city there has been a
large number of new houses. erected
and this has resulted in a. large increase
in the assessment for these wards. 1t is
expected that the increase in the yalu-
alton of real estate and improvements
in the city will be pretty close to a
million dollars and it may be slightly
in excess of this amount.
The making of personal assessments
is going along slowly but the assessors
hope to have the full report of the
assessment ready by the latter part of
August. The men in charge of the
making of the valuation fear that there
may be a big falling off in personal as
sessments on account Of the change in
the place Of the assessment of one of
the large Kenosha fortunes but this
has not been definitely decided upon
and the assessment may yet be return
ed to the officials here.
Assessor Klelst who is the statistic
ian of the board of assessment declares
that he feels certain that the total as
sessment will show a slight increase
over last year but he will not hazard
guess as to the amount of the in
crease on account of the uncertainty
of some of the personal property as,
sessments.
Members of the common council were
hopeful that the assessment would be in
creased by at least two million dollars
this year in order to make it possible
to raise sufficient sum of money for
the demands of the city without in
creasing the tax levy. Several large
amounts will be needed next year
which were not included in the tax
levy this year Provision must be
made for the payment of part of the
Columbus school bonds, and for part
of the city hall bonds.
The city will have to raise $4,000
to insure the completion Of the city
hail on scheduled time and money will
have TO be raised to complete the fund
for the retirement of the water bonds.
Alderman Harbaugh, chairman of the
finance committee of the council is au-
5hority for the statement that the
funds of the city with the exception of
a couple of the smaller funds are now
overdrawn and the city will undoubted-
~ be forced to raise funds to meet
these Deficiencies.
It is probable that the city will be
run on borrowed money for several
months and the city will be fortunate
lif it can secure a loan without paying
out large sums for interest.