The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-09-19
KENOSHA TAXES ARE LOWEST
State Commission Declares Kenosha is
Most Favorable as place for Manu-
featuring industries. Give Figures
to Support Claims


dustry and that the income tax cannot
possibly drive industries from the
state because of the additional burden
imposed, is the deduction to be drawn
from a table showing the tax rate in
sixteen of the leading manufacturing
cities of Wisconsin. This information
was recently compiled by the state tax
commission for use before the Madison
city council In compiling the table
the tax commission has ascertained
the relationship between the assessed
and true value Of real estate in ea.h
city. Tt has then made tax rate bas-
ed upon the full value in each city
For instance the city Of Superior has
local tax Of .0293, but is only asses
sed at a little over 70 per cent Of its
true value. The tax rate on the true
value, therefore on the city Of Super
Tor is .0206.
Upon this true value basis Ashland
ranks highest in rate of taxes with
.0262 as tax rate on the full value
Of it's property. The conclusion is
inevitable that if the rate of taxes
has anything to do with the location
of an industry, factories located in
Ashland would quickly move to Racine
where. the tax rate on full value is
OBS or to Oshkosh where the tax rate
Of .0158, or to Sheboygan where the
tax rate is .0157, or Madison with a
rate of .0149, or Kenosha with rate
of .0082.
The tax rats as based on full value
is highest in Ashland with Lacrosse
second, Marinette third, Superior
fourth, Eau Claire fifth, Appleton
sixth, Fond di Lac seventh and Mil
waukee eighth. The city Of Madison
ranks thirteenth.
Kenosha has one Of the lowest tax
rates in the state, and tax officials
point out that if the question of taxes
controls the location Of an industry
many Of the factories now located in
Milwaukee, Superior, Lacrosse, Green
Bay, Fond du Lac, Eau Claire, Apple
ton, Marinette and Ashland would
quickly move to Kenosha or even to
Manitowoc, where the tax rate on full
value Of the property is only oil.
A comparison between the per capita
values on the basis of the assessed
value of all property in 1911 and the
total tax in 1911 foz cities of the first,
second and third class is even more
interesting. The city Of Madison ranks
first in order per capita. The assessed
value of all property in 1911 in Madi-
son was $32,005,500. The population
of the city in 1910 was 1851, making
the per capita of assessed value for
each individual in Madison $1,254.
The total tax collected in Madison was
$3.50 ,444.38, or $21.91 per capita. The
city Of Appleton ranks second and
Milwaukee third in the amount of per
capita tax.
The assessed value of all property in
Milwaukee in 1911 was $442,932, 255,
ano the population in 1910 was 373,857,
making a per capita Of assessed value
for each individual of $1,1S5. Upon
this same basis the per capita tax in
Milwaukee is $19.31. Upon this same
basis Lacrosse ranks fourth in the
amount Of taxes per capita, Superior
fifth, Ashland sixth, Green Bay
seventh, Fond du Lac eighth, Racine
ninth, Eau Claire tenth and Oshkosh
eleventh. The assessed value of all
property in the city of Oshkosh in
1911 was $22, 706,113, and the popula-
ton in 1910 was 53,063, making a per
capita assessed value of $687 and a
!
per capita total tax of $14.77.
As further showing that a tax rate
has nothing to do with the location of
ar industry, there was presented to the
Madison common council some months
ago when the tax budget was discuss
ed table showing the local tax rate
and capital invested in manufacturing
| in sixteen Wisconsin cities excepting
Milwaukee. In the first eight cities
arranged in order of capital invested
in manufacturing plants, the average
local assessors tax rate was .o221, and
the tax rate upon the true real estate
value was .0159.
The average amount Of capital in
vested in manufacturing plants in
each of these cities was $14, $50, 625.
The cities includes in this class were.
Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Oshkosh.
Lacrosse, Beloit, Eau Claire and Ap-
pleton. In the remaining eight cities,
including Fond du Lac, Superior, Mani
towoc, Wausau, Green Bay, Madison,
GAINESVILLE and Marinette, which follow
ia order in the amount of capital in
| vested after the first eight. cities men
toned previously. the AVERAGE +aY rata