The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-11-13
KENOSHA SECOND
COUNTY IN STATE
Tax Commission Seeks to
Explain Increase in As
sessed Valuation.
BIG INDUSTRIAL BOOST
In Letter to Council Commits
sion Insists Kenosha Has
Not Been Over-valued.

At a special meeting of the city
council held Monday evening In the
rooms of the city manager in the city
hall, Director Of Finance II. G. Laugh
lin read into the records of the coun-
ell communication from the Wiscon-
sin tax commission relative to the pro-
test and inquiry from the city of Ke-
nosha in the matter of the boost OF
some twenty million of dollars in the
assessed valuation for Kenosha county
for 1924.
The council listened to the COM
munication, and at the suggestion of
the city manager it was read into the
records, but council indicated that
the explanation" was not adequate or
satisfactory and will so forward with
the resolution of protest to the COM
mission to be presented the county
board tomorrow for it's approval and
cooperation.
Calls Kenosha Second"
In the communication from the
Wisconsin state commission the boost
of twenty million dollars in valuation
is laid to the growth of the city of
Kenosha.
at may be seriously questioned"
says the commission, whether Keno
sha is not now the second county in
the state industrially."
The commission points out that the
real estate of the city of Milwaukee
was assessed by the tax commission
in 1923 at $7e1, 1928 and in 1924 it
has been assessed at $879, 954,912. "The
increase in the real estate assessment
Of Milwaukee alone" says the COM
mission, totals several million dol
lars more than the entire valuation
placed upon the county of. Kenosha.
It's (Milwaukee's) total assessment of
ali property for 1924 exceeds the as
sessmeht of 1923 by $121, 900. This
exceeds the entire valuation placed
upon all property in the county OF
Kenosha by five million dollars. The
homestead deduction has been exempt
ed in each case. In Kenosha county
this exemption amounted to $8;342,370.
In Milwaukee county it amounted to
$24, 1885"
In conclusion the commission adds
the following statement:
"Wholly aside from comparisons
which we might supply indefinitely,
and all of which would indicate that
Kenosha has not been relatively over
valued by the commission, we desire
to call your attention to few facts
which indicate that Kenosha county
has not been overvalued actually by
the commission.
"The growth of manufacturing in
dustries in Kenosha has been tremend-
GUS during recent years. 1t may be
seriously questioned whether Kenosha
is not now the second county in the
state industrially. If 1t is exceeded by
any county in addition to Milwaukee,
that county would be the county of Ra-
cine which has been valued by the COM
mission in 1924 at $165, 974,824. A con-
sideration of the balance sheets filed
by only six of the leading manufac-
turing concerns Of your county shows
a net aggregate of property owned
and situated in Kenosha county of
$36,212,77e.3S. Deducting from this
amount the reserves for depreciation
of $4,SO6,378.S2, leaves practically $780,
100000 of property belonging to
these six corporations alone. If we
add to this all of the property Of the
100 odd other corporations located in
Kenosha county, the business prop
erty of individuals and partnerships,
all the residence property Of the city of
Kenosha and all the farm lands, farm
homes and improvements in the coun-
ty, we think that you will agree with
us that Kenosha has not been over
valued actually.
"It is interesting to note that the
value of all the personal property In
the county was found by the tax COM
mission to be $21 ,34s in 1924. The
inventories of the corporation alone
filed in this office total more than
SIS, 100000. If we add to that amount
the sum represented by supplies and
certain equipment which would come
under the head of personal property, it
would easily bring the total over
$1s,00O,000. Certainly the difference
between this amount and the assess
ment Of the personal property as made
does not Justify any assumption that
Kenosha's personal property has been
overvalued. Such difference is theo-
retically small value for all the tax
able property belonging to all the in
dividuals Of the county. The inven-
tories of such farmers as file income
tax returns alone amount to $2,124,T92
of such amount, leaving a bare mil
lion dollars to cover all other person