The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-01-18
STATE TAX PROVES BIG BOGEY
Special Committee Named to Consider
Plans for More Equitable Valuation
of City Property-other Business of
the Common Council.


ing of the common council on Monday
evening, but no plan has been ac-
cepted for the work Of the assessors
and the council will take up the mat
ter again at the next regular meet
ing. A general discussion of the
proposition brought out the fact that
the members of the council are agreed
that there should be some changes
made in the valuation of property and
three plans were suggested. The first
was to have a re-assessment of the
city under the direction of the state
tax commission, the second to have a
re-assessment made by one of the
many companies making a business of
assessing property in cities and the
third plan was a suggestion to demand
from the assessors greater care in
making the valuations.
The main opposition to the plan
came from the fact that Kenosha
county is now one Of the best assessed
counties in the state according to the
report of the state tax commission and
the members of the council feared
that should re-valuation be made it
would result in large increases in the
state and county taxes to be paid by
the city which would eat up a large
amount if not all of the money Sc
cured through increased valuation.
It was declared that the limited time
for the work of assessments made it
impossible for the present assessors to
make a real valuation Of all the prop
erty and some suggestions were made
that the time for making the assess
ment be increased thus making it pos
sible for the regular men in charge
of this work to get a chance to per-
sonally examine every piece of prop
erty in the city before the assessment
is returned. A committee headed by
Alderman Joseph G. Rhode with
Aldermen Peter Pirsch, N. j. Werner,
W. T. Marlatt and Robert W. Burt as
his assistants was named to look into
the matter and make a report to the
council at the next regular meeting.
It is recognized that q proposed re-
assessment is one of the biggest prop
lens for the city council to meet and
the members are anxious to have the
people fully advised on possible re-
suits of such action before it is taken.
There was little business of import
ance at the wholly harmonious meet
ing of the aldermen. A suggestion of
ownership of a lighting
plant in the city came up. when it.
was suggested that the two lighting
companies in the city might form a
within short time. Alder
man Pirsch declared that when this
became known that the committee on
lights would fire the opening gun for
a municipal plant. He declared that
the committee was not as yet ready
to report on any proposition for the
Tungsten lamps for the street, but that
all companies in the city would be
given chance to offer propositions
before the committee recommended
any final action in the matter.
Several petitions were received from
owners in the new sewer dis
triets of the city asking for sewers
and these will be built in the early
spring. None of the property owners
are making any objections to paying
the increased frontage for the sewers
due to the building of the trunk
sewer.
There was small argument on ac-
count of the fact that it was shown
that paving contractors have solicitors
in the city seeking to have the people
on various streets sign petitions for
paving. The majority of the members
of the council seemed to believe that
this was not a matter concerning the
council and that if these men could
get the streets Of the city paved there
would be ne serious objections to
their working.
The matter of granting Justice John
II. Wells an Office In the city hall did
not come up as the committee on
buildings and water works stated that
the petition of the justice had been
withdrawn.
The council received petition ask
ING for the paving of Union street be-
tween Grand avenue and Milwaukee
avenue and the paving will be done
in the early spring. The contract for
the paving of Exchange street between
Pearl and Deming street was awarded
to the White Construction Company
of Milwaukee.
The council directed the building
committee to secure plans for the
building of smoke consumer on the
chimney at the city hall.
The remainder of the meeting was
given over to the usual routine work
of the cou1slk The following hills