The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-02-06
FEAR RAISE IN CITY TAXES
Golf Club Also Seeks to Have Land
Now Under Lease by the Club Re-
moved From Big Track Which it is
Planned to Annex This Year.


All of the people living in suburban
territory about Kenosha are not pining
to put on city airs and come into the
city and half dozen petitions have
been put into circulation remonstrat-
ing against the annexation of the great
track lying to the south and west of
the city and bounded on the east by
the lake and on the west by the Rate
gan road. People living at both the
east and the west ends of the territory
are objecting to annexation. On the
east is the great piece of land used
as the grounds of the Kenosha Country
Club and under the tax officials of the
town of Pleasant Prairie the owners
of this properly have found it posi-
BILE to pay the tax and at the same
time lease it to the club at reason
able rate. 1t is declared that if this
property is made subject to CITY tax
the golf club will probably be forced
to secure new grounds and that the
property now used as the golf grounds
would be subdivided.
G. c. Allen, who is in charge of the
property said: eve much prefer to
leave the property for use as a golf
grounds, but we could not continue if
the property is brought into the city
and heavy taxes levied against it.
The grounds consist Of sixty acres and
all of this will be subject to the city
tax. The golf links are in way
public adS sfound although tnsrs is
some restriction placed over the mem-
bership. The owners Of the property
see nothing to be gained by annexa-
ton to the city as the present uses of
the property do not demand sewage o
any other city improvements. We are
hopeful that the city council will 81,
fit to leave this property out of The
city,"
The protest ON the west is from the
people residing in the Kenosha Heights
and Orchard Knoll neighborhood.
These people are opposed to annexa-
ton on account of the fact that they
believe that the coming into the city
will bring large increases in taxes
without such improvements as they
desire. Many of these people have
been given to understand that when
this property is brought into the city
each property owner will be assessed
taxes of 500 to pay for the trunk
sewer. This statement is an error.
The cost of the building of the trunk
sewer has been provided as a tax
against the entire city and there is no
provision for special assessment. Ie
the property to the west and south
comes into the city and sewers are
built in that territory the cost will
be assessed at the rate Of two dollars
a foot Of frontage. This is the same
charge that is being made to all prop
erty recently brought into the city by
annexation. No burden will be placed
on new territory as a result of the
building of the trunk sewer.
Another objection of the people liv.
ing at the west end of the terri
tory is the fact that bonds have been
assessed against the property for the
building of the district school just
over the line in the town of Pleasant
Prairie. These bonds will not be paid
for two years and the people claim
that they will be forced to pay dou-
bic school tax should they come into
the city at this time. The petitions
for nne&ation have not as yet been
brought formally before the council,
but it is expected that they will make
their appearance within a short time.