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Walker’s Budget Looks To Keep Pushing Down Property Taxes

Some Local Authorities Are Unhappy With Rate Caps

By
Maureen McCollum / WPR News

Property taxes would continue to decline under Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget.

Speaking during an event in La Crosse Wednesday morning, Walker said property taxes have dropped an average of $131 since he first took office and he said he wants them to continue declining through 2016.

Some local leaders have criticized the state-imposed limits, saying they need to be able to raise property taxes to pay for local services. But Walker said the state is providing stable funding for local governments and schools to avoid driving property taxes up.

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“Obviously for things like our schools and others, we do give a referendum option for schools, local governments that feel they want to go beyond where the revenue caps are. We want to keep this balanced,” Walker said. “The number one thing I hear from people across the state is concern about the impact of property taxes.”

Walker is also seeking to change how property taxes are assessed, shifting them away from municipalities to counties.