The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-08-22
WILL PASS 80 MILLION MARK
Mil Tax VIII be Reduced This Year
but Committee is Not Promising That
Actual Tax Collected VIII be Lower
Than That Of the Former Year.

The finance committee of the city
council at its meeting on Friday even.
ing took up an informal discussion of
the question Of the tax levy for the
coming year and while the work of the
board of assessment will not be .om
pleted for a month yet the committee
has seen enough of the assessment at
the present time to be assured that
there will be a reduction in the mill
tax when the final report of the com
mittee goes to the council the first
Monday in December. 1t is not the
intention of the committee to give out
the idea that taxes are to be less than
they were this year for while sthough
the mill tax may be lower the bringing
Of the property up to a proper valua-
ton in many cases increases the actual
amount of taxes to be paid. The asses
sors have given the committee the ass
surance that the valuation Of the prop.
cry in the city returned for taxation
will exceed thirty million dollars, this
being an increase Of nearly fifty per
cent over the valuation returned a
year ago. The tax levy made in De-
cember year ago provided for the
raising Of little over $3.50, 600. A ten
mill tax on $3O,0OO,OOO would bring
100000 and in addition to this the
city will count on receiving some re-
turns from the income tax However,
the release of personal property taxa
tion through the levymg of the income
tax viii in large measure throw
the burden of the tax on the real es-
tate and real estate taxes in the city
for the coming years will be far great
er than ever before The assessed
valuation now being returned is aimed
to be absolutely fair to every one aud
the proper valuation of many pieces of
property which have practically es-
capped taxation in the past viii 90 a
long ways toward reducing, the taxes
of people who have paid on AZ exees-
si1e proportional vauation in former
years. The assessors have closely fol
lowed the orders of tb state tax com
MISSION and the supervisor of assess
ments IN making valuations, and one
thirg is certain and that is that every
one in the city viii pay his fair share
of the taxes next year. Bringing these
pieces of property up to where they
should be assessed has made tremen.
dous increase in the assessment roll.
Land values have not been varied by
the assessor and ever foot of front
age in the city has been assessed and
assessed at the same price as the foot Of
land adjoining it. Real estate experts
who have examined the valuations for
the five wards completed by the asses
sors declare that the values placed ON
the property are fair values
1t viii take at least three weeks to
complete the work Of making the
valuation and as soon as this is done
some final figures may be given out.
The supervisor of assessments is esti-
mating the return from the income tax
at three per cent of the valuation and
if this estimate is a proper one the city
viii receive close to $4,000 from
this tax. The other receipts for
the coming year including such moneys
as may be earned by the municipal
court, receipts from taxes collected by
the state and turned back to the city,
saloon and other licenses are estimated
at closa to 100000 so that the total Of
fnanci j income for the city for the
next year viii probably be in the
neighberhood Of $4,000.