The League of Wisconsin Municipalities in collaboration with WisEye recently provided an excellent discussion video on the negative impact levy limits have on municipal services including road maintenance and public safety. The video can be viewed on their
Facebook page.
Local decision making in cities, towns and villages is heavily impacted by levy limits. Compared to other states, Wisconsin is one of the least flexible when it comes to local government revenue generation. By law, local government may only increase the property tax levy by the percentage increase in equalized value from net new construction. While Pleasant Prairie and our region has been shielded from property tax stagnation because of new property development and growth; only one in ten communities in Wisconsin have kept up with the rate of inflation. Communities with new growth, like Pleasant Prairie, have only been able to maintain, not supplement, services to cover the new growth.
Property values may rise, but municipalities see absolutely no benefit. Even though homeowner’s taxes may go up or pay a greater share, is it the result of the state giving tax breaks to commercial and industrial property through the Dark Store and personal property tax relief. Expanded local flexibility of revenue diversification is necessary to maintain quality communities we call our home. For more information visit the League of Wisconsin Municipalities website:
http://www.lwm-info.org/.