(1)    The department on or before August 15, upon returns from the secretary of state or from county, town, city and village officers, or both, shall ascertain and determine the aggregate tax in the whole state for state, county and local purposes levied on the general property of the state, excluding special assessments on property for local improvements, and when the aggregate of all taxes, state, county and local consolidated is thus ascertained and determined, the amount thereof shall be entered on the records of the department.

   (2)   When the officers of any county, town, city or village shall have failed to return the amount of state, county and local taxes, levied on property therein within the time required by law, the department may inspect and examine or cause an inspection and examination of the records of such officers, to procure the required information, and when no return is made and no information can be procured, the state, county and local taxes levied in such town, city or village in the prior year may be used in determining the aggregate taxes specified in sub. (1). Any county, town, city or village officer who shall fail to make the report or reports required by this subchapter shall be subject to a penalty of not less than $25 nor more than $150, to be recovered in a proper action in the name of the state of Wisconsin in any court of competent jurisdiction; and any expense necessarily incurred by the department in procuring the information not reported as required by law by any such officer shall be a special charge against the county, town, city or village whose officer shall have so failed to furnish the required information and shall be collected in the same manner as other special charges.