Wisconsin’s school ballot referendums could impact taxpayers
(The Center Square) – Many voters across Wisconsin will see school referendum questions on their Nov. 5 ballots which could raise their annual property taxes by hundreds of dollars if passed.
Some of the districts include Madison, Wauwatosa, Eau Claire and Janesville, although more than nine dozen districts will have at least one referendum on the ballot, which the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty has created a financial impact calculator for.
Madison Metropolitan School District, which serves more than 25,000 students, has placed two referendums on the ballot asking for a total of $600 million in increased school funding, which would be paid for by increasing district property taxes over the course of four years.
Madison residents with a home assessed at $310,000 – roughly the average home value in Wisconsin, according to Zillow statistics – currently pay $3,034.90 annually in school district property taxes.
If the referendum passes, homeowners in this bracket will pay $3,248.80 in the first year, $3,685.01 in the second year, $3,827.70 in the third year, and $3,967.77 in the fourth year and beyond.
Wauwatosa School District, which serves nearly 7,000 students, is asking voters to approve a pair of referendums worth $124.4 million.
Wauwatosa residents with a home assessed at $310,000 currently pay $2,070.80 annually in school district property taxes. If the referendum passes, homeowners in this bracket will see their taxes rise by more than $600, amounting to $2,721.80 annually.
Eau Claire School District, which serves nearly 11,000 students, and Janesville School District, which serves nearly 10,000 students, have each placed a tax-increasing referendum on their respective ballots as well.
Eau Claire residents with a home assessed at $310,000 currently pay $1,959.20 annually in school district property taxes. If the referendum passes, homeowners in this bracket will see their taxes rise by more than $300, amounting to $2,266.10 annually.
Janesville residents with a home assessed at $310,000 currently pay $2,185.50 annually in school district property taxes. If the referendum passes, homeowners in this bracket will see their taxes rise by more than $250, amounting to $2,436.60 annually.
The WILL calculator was developed with data from local school districts via information available online and open records requests. Wisconsinites who have property valuing between $50,000 to $2 million can calculate the financial impact of their respective school district’s referendums here: https://will-law.org/more-property-taxes-to-come-will-informs-wisconsin-property-tax-payers-about-upcoming-referenda/
