We Must Stop Property Taxation Without Representation!

Cap Times July 12-18 reports property taxes now claim 4.5% of personal income (highest since 1996) with net property taxes totaling $9.4 billion in 2010.

I am sharing some information with you concerning property taxes and the endless increases levied to home owners by MMSD, MATC, Dane County, The City of Madison, TIF Funding, The State of WI, etc.

Almost daily I read in the paper about how our taxes are going to go up again because these entities are losing state funding and because of mismanaged budgets and because of lost tax revenue from open TIF districts that should have been closed in Madison (Lucy Mathiak, school board member and TIF Revue Board is a great source for TIF districts and their affects - see blogs I am following). With this being said – I was contacted by John Matthews of MTI because I was wanting answers from MMSD about several different issues that need to be addressed to stop the constant hit to our pocket books. John had done some research and made some proposals to some in the assembly for a 1 cent increase (or more) in sales tax to help fund MMSD. There was some interest by a couple and I told John that this was a serious concern for me and that I would contact some representatives and senators. I also did some research and found this idea has been presented before but never accepted (see attached). I contacted those John identified and so far I have not received a reply (I am not surprised by this). I am not going to let this go and will continue to work for this cause.

Given this information, we need to get our tax code changed to rely much less on property taxes and more fairly shared by those who work and live in our community, via sales tax, income tax, food tax, other. I, as many others will not be able to afford to live in this community if these increases continue. I have documented all my communications to all elected officials and I have been acquiring newspaper articles relating to tax topics since early this year. When put all together – the readings are FRIGHTENING!

I look forward to hearing your views and any ideas you may have. My goal is for us to organize to make our voices HEARD.

I am attaching some links that have been published and which all relate to our local government generating current and future taxation without representation.

I will be posting more in the next few days as these egregious acts are numerous.

Did you know?:
- 80% of Madison Property Owners do NOT have children in public schools.
- Almost 50% of properties in Madison do not pay property taxes!

School district braces for aid decline.  Posted: Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Not only are we looking at property tax increases but property owners are expected to lose their property tax credit!  http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/article_0c72b1a9-a659-53f3-96a9-450d5cfeca43.html 
Plain Talk: At least Evers is raising issue of school aid formula: Posted: Monday, July 5, 2010
Still no discussion about any other funding than property taxes.
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/dave_zweifel/article_5c20ea12-e428-5ee8-88d6-fabc4f0b8fb4.html

MADISON'S SUPERINTENDENT SEEKING BALANCE, GAINING FANS DANIEL NERAD IS PRAISED FOR LISTENING AND WORKING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND TAXPAYERS. Posted: Sunday, August 24, 2008
(This was 2008 - this plan was supposed to hold proerty taxes in check (reasonably) for the next 3 years; how could Nerad miss so many important indicators that changed the "idea" so dramatically???)
http://host.madison.com/news/article_4cc6d4e6-e949-541e-a8e7-4668b66d46ac.html


DISTRICT TO HOLD PUBLIC SESSIONS
Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Madison School Districts officials will hold four sessions for the public to learn details of the district's Nov. 4 referendum that will seek permanent property tax increases to avert multimillion-dollar budget shortfalls.
(Why did this fail?  How did this fail??)
http://host.madison.com/news/local/article_c9a72cd9-c659-5a3f-a7cf-25b72a98c5f4.html

Madison school budget faces difficult cuts in upcoming meeting: Posted: Sunday, April 25, 2010
(How did we get here, from there, so soon?!)
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/article_0eac2251-41cd-5dbe-b71d-787500e96e56.html



NOTE:  No One has raised the issue of funding with sales tax increase thus far rather than the non-workable property tax hikes!



$85 Million in Repairs!?
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/article_db95bf00-4198-11df-ac30-001cc4c03286.html

Proposed Madison School District Maintenance Referendum: 1999, 2005 and 2010 DocumentsMadison School District http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2010/04/proposed_madiso_3.php


Madion District Got $23 million from taxpayer for school repairs in 2005 - Where did it go???
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/local_schools/article_b06924b8-78b9-11df-ae82-001cc4c002e0.html

M: Madison School Board member may seek audit of how 2005 maintenance referendum dollars were spent Susan Troller  http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2010/04/madison_school_167.php


Referendum????
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/local_schools/article_e9f05fe2-4030-11df-89a2-001cc4c002e0.html


4-year old kindergarten in budget for $6 million (Do we really need this?)http://host.madison.com/thecaptimes/article_f63e3eb7-0986-5485-ac02-0ae5bcf46456.html


Overstated debt - Extra cuts Not Needed:
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/article_9f42feca-46b4-11df-bc5e-001cc4c03286.html

NERAD: CUTS WON'T HURT SCHOOL PROGRAMS
This was last year - what happened from 2009/2010 to 2010/2011????!
http://host.madison.com/news/local/article_57185b5a-1ac1-5165-bef1-a4d07427799d.html  


MATC Will Raise Tax Levy by 10% (Was Actually Higher)!  For 2010-11, the total tax levy could increase by 8.94% with a resulting mill rate of 1.43038. The operational levy, controlled by a 1.5 limit, would then be 1.28708. The District would remain 14.19% ($15,391,849) under the legislative limit for operational levies. 
Question: What will happen to all the new buildings and facilities when the economy gets back on track and enrollment declines?
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/campus_connection/article_1de9f0f0-4843-11df-942f-001cc4c002e0.html

Madison expands TIF districts - creating lower property tax pool.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_891aa96c-8634-11df-97e7-001cc4c03286.html

TIF extension for Edgewater project could be iffy
(read how the Edgewater TIF district costs you money!)
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_b2911013-1bcb-5f6e-86da-dbaacfcfd000.html

Developer eyes 230-room hotel at Rimrock Road and Beltline
(And NO TIF funding was required!)
http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/article_f0382cee-92a2-11df-9e9e-001cc4c002e0.html



Council gives mayor OK to negotiate Overture deal
(Pay close attention to this as it may begin to effect our taxes to fund)
By DEAN MOSIMAN | 608-252-6141 | dmosiman@madison.com | Posted: Wednesday, August 4, 2010
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_2ffe0e2d-900f-5f11-8855-2e48afc7bdf0.html

Madison360: Coming to a neighborhood near you: less influence
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/madison_360/article_b9247866-962c-5e13-9dd6-2952207519b8.html

Madison neighborhood leaders fear diminished role in city planning
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_17ec1b5a-99d9-11df-a006-001cc4c002e0.html