K-12 Tax & Spending Climate: Many Dane County property owners face higher tax bills

Gena Kittner:

Many Dane County residents are facing higher property tax bills this month as the growth of new property hasn't kept up with higher government spending.

"We're in a falling value market," said David Worzala, Dane County treasurer. Taxpayers experienced similar conditions last year, but in this tax cycle "it's more pronounced," he said.

Before 2009, new construction and a growing tax base helped reduce the tax hit resulting from spending by schools, local governments and other taxing authorities.

The deadline for residents to pay at least half of their property taxes is Jan. 31.

In Dane County, bills cover municipal and county government, K-12 schools and Madison Area Technical College. Some municipalities add special charges for trash collection or recycling, improvements to streets or sidewalks, or unpaid bills.

Michael Louis Vinson:

School districts across the Green Bay and Appleton areas raised property taxes an average of 3.8 percent compared with last year, slightly higher than the 3.4 percent statewide average.

In Brown County school districts, increases range from 2.9 percent in De Pere and Pulaski to 12.3 percent in West De Pere, according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, a government watchdog group that crunched the tax numbers and released them this week. Only the Ashwaubenon district didn't increase its tax levy.

Each of the six districts based in Brown County is taxing to the limit allowed by the state this year.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at December 24, 2010 1:05 AM
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