The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-05-28
.CIJNDY URGES
MORE INTEREST
Task of Assessing Needs
Cooperation of All
Citizens, Plea.
SEEKING UNIFORMITY
BY ROBERT L. CUNDY
assessor Of Incomes)


The local assessor is the very foun-
dation upon which the administration
of the whole general property tax
rests. Unless he is man of good
Judgment, familiar with values, en-
dowed with sufficient moral courage
to be fair, and diligent enough to
find and place all the property in his
district upon the assessment roll, his
work invariably falls short of the legal
standpoint, and usually results in the
grossest injustice.
If the assessor fails to perform his
full duty, the very foundation of equi-
table tax administration crumbles. If
the assessor falters or fails to use
the same standard of value, no state
or county equalization can cure the de-
feet. If one property owner escapes
If the work is carelessly lonesome
other person or property, perhaps al
ready over-assessed, must bear the
increased burden.
The Wisconsin Tax commission, with
its field force of 81 assessors of in
come, is charged with the duty of Sc
curing uniformity in assessments. APP
proximately 1000 assessing officers
chosen at random, with no test of
ability or experience, with a salary
which would bar competent person
from accepting the position, must uni
formly value five billion dollars of
taxable property between May 1 and
July 1. 1t is surprising that the Tax
commission has said, Conformity of
assessment under these conditions
would be little short of miracle, and
the age of miracles is gone"
Many New Situations.
In view of the fact that there has
been a steady increase in some and an
unsettled condition in value of other
property. the work of assessment this
year is relatively more difficult than
in former years Therefore, as a mat
ter of fairness and civic duty, the pub
lie ought to take more active inter
est and cooperate with those in charge
of assessment work.
The suggestion that the public
ought to take an interest and cooper
ate prompts us to suggest an appeal
to the masses through the press. We
offer sample communication. The
effort of the Tax commission to secure
better assessments in 1925 should be
made public in every possible manner.
The Wisconsin Tax commission,
alive to the fact that ever. increasing
taxes make more important their
proper distribution. has inaugurated
a campaign for better equalization in
assessments. The Tax commission be-
gan the work through appeals made
to the local assessors at their annual
meetings during April. These meet
ings were addressed by Commissioner
Chas. D. Rosa and Field Agent Pearce
Tomkins. They insisted that no mat
ter how fair and just the laws relating
to assessment and taxation of general
property might be-no matter how
we'll the state and county equalization
that in the final analysis State,
county, school and local taxes are
paid on the basis of values placed by
the local assessor.
If the local assessor falters or fails,
if he is incompetent, unfair or dis
honest, the expenses of government
are unfairly distributed.
Pleads for Cooperation.
Cooperation and more active in
terest on the part of property owners
are essential to the success of the
commissions program. The placing of
proper assessment values is a difficult
task. Men are called to serve as as
SCISSOR with little special training, in
the majority of districts. Property
owners should assist in every way.
They should demand and insist on
assessments made according to law.
In spirit of fair play-in the in
terest of good government-for the
good of all the property owners of Ke-
nosha county, we solicit your aid in
helping our assessors to assess prop
erty on the only fair basis-its true
market value.