The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-11-01
HUGE sum FOR CITY PURSE
Tax Warrant to Be Collected in Coming
January Will Be In Excess of Million
Dollars and Greater Than In Any
Former Year In Kenosha.

| A sixteen mill tax levy in Kenosha
this year is going to bring to the city
| treasurer more than half million dol
lars-to be exact $598,954.72 aud this
| is going to be the amount of the city
taxes for the coming year unless the
members of the comomn council see
fit to change the amount Of the mill
levy.
/! Assessor John w. Stevens on Satrr-
| day completed the work of making the
annual valuation Of the property of the
city and the grand total for the year
| is $37,434, $1,000. This is an increase
for the year of $3,236,865.
! The figures of the assessor showing
the assessment of the real and personal
property by wards has not as yet been
worked out but within a month the
assessor will have a full report for the
people Of the city showing just where
| valuations have advanced and where
there has been the greatest increase in
personal property. Increase in the val
uation Of real estate and buildings this
year totals $2,066,965, and nearly every
ward in the city had some increase.
The vast increase has been on the west
and south sides Of the city. The in
creases are especially noticeable in the
third, ninth and fifth wards.
| The increase in the value Of the
personal property for the year is
81 1859, 900.
| Tt is declared that this year the per-
sonal property has been more carefully
listed than ever before. The large bust
ness being done by the big Industrial
plants of the city has been reflected
in increases in personal property assess
ment
Tt is interesting to note that the
valuation for 1917 is more than double
the valuation of the property in 1909.
In eight years the assessed valuation
Of the taxable property of Kenosha has
been increased from $18,461 $3.50 to $37,-
| 434,670.
! The city has not doubled its popu
lation in this period. The assessed
valuation of the property has more than
kept pace with population advances in
past years.
| The large increase in the valuation
promises to give Kenosfa parse Of
pretty close to million dollars for
the coming year. With a mill tax of
100000 and corporation income tax
of over 100000 the total passes the
million dollar mark for the first time
in the history of the city. Of course,
there will be some falling off from the
total of the tax warrant on account
of the fact that the payment of some
of the income taxes will be offset with
the payment of personal property taxes.
1 This off set from the million will, how
ever be largely made mp by the fact
that there has not as yet been charged
to the warrant anything for the indi-
vidual income taxes. It is probable
that the total of these taxes will be
pretty close to the hundred thousand
dollar mark and only very small
amount of this tax will be offset by
personal property tax. The city budget
will be further increased by the large
amount which is annual received
/ from thu issuance of saloon licenses and
q large amount of miscellaneous re-
ceipts from the construction of sewers
and other public work
The natural increase in the tax, due
to increased valuation will amount to
a little over $51 900 which is close to
two mills on the valuation of year
ago. Members of the finance commit
tee have shown no desire to reduce the
mill tax on account of the increase in
valuation and vast increases in the in
come taxes to be paid in the city. It
has been the idea of members of the
committee and the council that with
the people having excellent times that
1T would be better to leave the mill
take undisturbed and pile up for the
city a surplus to meet outstanding in
i debterness when it comes due. There
are lot of things that Kenosha needs,
such as the new police station, paved
streets in lot of portions of the city,
new schools and it is just possible that
"a place for some of these can be found