The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-06-05
AUDIT PRAISES
CITY'S STATUS
Audit of City Finances for
1923, Filed Recently,
Praises City.
HAD $4,000 SURPLUS
Report Shows City Ended the
Year 1928 with a Surplus
of S216,7OO.75.

A most complete statement of the
Finances of the city of Kenosha is
contained in the audit report for the
jsin Tax Commission with, the city
council recently after a thorough
checking of the records of the city
finance department. Concurrently with
the general city audit, the commits
sion also made an audit of the records
of the city water department which is
also presented to the council.
The audit was carried on under the
direction of E.. M. Barnes, acting
secretary of the Wisconsin Tax Com
mission and all entries were checked
and verified in the manner provided
by the tax commission, a method ap-
proved throughout the state. The
audit report contains many things of
Interest to the residents of Kenosha;
the report fills more than one hundred
typewriter pages, much of this being
tables showing the exact financial con-
Edition of every department of the city
during the year in question.
Had $4,000 Surplus.
| The summary shows that the city
during the year had total assets of
Isl ,051,141.76 and total liabilities of
1884 ,44101 with a current surplus at
the end of the year of $216, 700.75.
1t is explained that this statement
does not include the bonded indebted
ness for the reason that capital ac-
counts do not form part of the
general financial records of the city.
A statement of the bonded indebted
ness is given elsewhere in the report.
One exhibit shows in detail the bud
get estimates as compared with the
actual revenues and expenditures for
the year 1923. 1t shows that the act
ual revenues exceeded the estimates
/ by $41,002.64 and that the estimated
! expenditures exceeded those actually
made by $64;893.25, both of these fig
ures being in favor of the city. The
| 1923 budget, however, took into &C
count the entire current surplus at the
I beginning of the year. The 1928 ex-
penditures absorbed the 1928 revenues
and an amount froma surplus in addi-
ton of $120,906.37. There is, how
ever, surplus of more than $216,00O
| at the end of the year, more than &C.
! counting for the difference. 1t
should also be taken into considera-
ton that the expenditures during the
year included a large outlay for the
purchase of civic center property
The report declared that "the de-
spartment of finance is to be COM
mended for the accuracy of the gen.
eral city records during the period
under review"
Several suggestions were made re-
garding changing the methods OF
keeping accounts for city depart
ments. These were as follows:
/. The water department should be
regarded as separate and distinct from
the general city corporation. The city
4 should pay it fair rate for fire pro-
4 lection service and the water depart
ment should in turn pay the city in
cash for taxes, instead of charging
the taxes off as has been customary
| for many years in Kenosha. This
would greatly facilitate the keeping
of the records.
| 2. All license forms should be
bound and numbered with stub
attached so -tnat check coulu Anots
easily be made of it.
4 8. Changes should be made in the
matter of investments now held BY
members of the library board as these
should be so handled as to appear
in the city records.
a. Bonds required for city deposi
tory banks should be increased tt
cover at least the actual cash or
deposit.
The report of the audit has beer
referred to the council as commit.
tee of the whole to be taken up fol
D action at a meeting in the near future
The recommendations made by the au
ditors had all been anticipated anc
movements were on foot to make tn,
changes suggested.