Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-01-23
THE COMMISSION PLAN.

EDITOR PILOT
In looking over the tax boz at the
city hall, | found many convincing
reasons for a change in our present
form of city government.
The valuation of the city of Wau-
sau, as fixed by the board of review in
1900, was So, $50, 1890 and the amount
of taxes raised that year was 1923, ST..
The census of the city of Wausau for
1900 showed that the population was
II, 354, which made the cost of govern
ment that year per capita $1,000.
In 1911 the valuation placed on prop
erty in the city of Wausau was Sc, 769,-
1900, nearly double what it was in
1900. The amount of taxes raised in
1911, which taxes are now being col
lected, amounted to about 1922, $780,
which amount is nearly double The
amount collected in 1900. This made
the cost of government paid by the
city of WauSau in the year 1911 per
capita s1406, as the population, as
shown by the census of 1910, is 1850.
In 1900 the amount OF taxes paid
was 1923, 577.00 and in 1911 $232, &c., co.
Ii the proportionate increase in taxes
continues during the next ten years,
what will the tax payer do? In order
to take care of this increase, it will be
necessary to raise the valuation of all
property in the city for the reason
that there is statutory limitation
which prohibits the making of tax
rate of more than $3.50 per humid, /.
AS our tax rate now is S3.44, we Will
be limited in raising the rate six cents
per one hundred. In order to take
care of the increase in the cost of
government during the next ten years,
the valuation will have to be raised
If the valuation is raised to meet this
increased demand for revenue, it will
mean that this city will be compelled
to pay a larger state and county tax
as well as city in order to make it
possible to raise more revenue for city
government.
During the last eleven years we
have had, as mayor and aldermen.
good, intelligent men, and men who
have sincerely tried to give this city
good and economical government. no
doubt they have given the city as
economical government as is possible
under the present system.
Mr.. Ringle, in his article in the WAU-
sAU PILOT two weeks ago, left the in
ference that the water department
had been one of the reasons for the
increase in the taxes in this city. The
amount of money collected by the
waiter department between MAY l,
1910, and May l, 1911, was $50, 919.77.
The net earnings for that year were
Sl5, 466.SS. The net earnings in said
department from May l, 1909, to May
l, 1910, were SIS, 13S.74 If what is
true of the last two years in The
water department is true of the pre-
viouS years, the water department
has collected enough money TO more
than pay its running expenses, togeth-
er with all of the cost of construction
from the time that the same was first
installed In this city 4 rhe money had
not been used for other purposes As
we still have outstanding between
sS0,0O000 and S90.0O0.00 of water
bonds, il is very evident that the i'm
crease OF taxes has not been caused
by the expenses of the water depart
ment.
The water rates in Eau Claire. since
the commission form of government
has been in force, have been reduced
p per cent. without increasing the
general taxes, in fact, during the same
period of time, the tax rate has been
decreased nearly fifty cents hundred.
There Is no reason why the water
rates here under the commission form
OF government should not be de-
creased the same as they have been
decreased in Eau Claire. There is no
reason why. under the commission
form OF government, this city shoulS
not. during the next ten years. de-
crease its tax rate instead of increas-
ing 1t, for the Wausau people are Just
as smart and intelligent as the Eau
Claire people. IL Eau Claire can &C
complish thu saving in the cost of
city government without a decrease
in the amount of improvements in
the way OF streets, sewer and water
extension, etc, We can.
III. III. MANSON.