If state lawmakers go along with Governor Doyle's modified "freeze," we can expect a bigger increase in property taxes this year. That's according to a study from the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, which found statewide property taxes in cities last year went up and average of 3.5 percent. The group's Dale Knapp says that was thanks to the property tax freeze the governor and legislators imposed.
However, Knapp says that freeze will go away under the budget proposed by Governor Doyle this year. Knapp says the current proposal modifies the freeze, which will lead to higher increases than in the past couple of years.
If adopted, Knapp says the average increase this year could be as high as five percent.