A state lawmaker says some school districts in Wisconsin could see double-digit increases in property taxes in the coming years, thanks to the state budget adopted last summer by the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
Republican state Representative Brett Davis of Oregon says the budget resulted in cuts in state aid, removal of limits on teacher salaries, and changes in arbitration laws. As a result, he says many local districts will have to raise taxes even higher to compensate.
The Department of Public Instructions says the average increase for this year is 7.2-percent statewide.
AUDIO: John Colbert reports (MP3 :39)
NOTE: John Johnson with the state Department of Public Instruction says the 7.2 percent average is incorrect. “Statewide, overall school district gross property tax levies are increasing by 6.04 percent,” says Johnson.
