City Leaders Make Case Madison's Permanent Tax Hike and New Fees Are Unnecessary, Cite Inequitable Impact on Struggling Families.

Sheri Carter provided insights on how higher taxes and new fees will have an inequitable impact on residents.

At a press conference this afternoon at the Inn on the Park, former alder Sheri Carter, retired Dane County sheriff Dave Mahoney, and former mayor Paul Soglin teamed up to make the case that Madison’s proposed property tax referendum, new fees, and service cuts are unjustified, unnecessary, and inequitable.

Carter emphasized the impact of the new taxes and fees will have on our neighbors who are struggling with the cost of living here, noting that almost half of the students in the Madison Metropolitan School District come from economically disadvantaged families, and qualify for free lunch.*

Mahoney addressed the financial strain of the tax increase and new fees will place on retirees and those on fixed incomes, and the tough choices they'll have to make if their taxes go up just a couple of hundred dollars, while criticizing the lack of accountability and fiscal responsibility of city leaders.

Paul Soglin shared information on how the city can balance the budget without cutting services.

Soglin explained how the city’s budget can be balanced without raising taxes or making cuts, and that using reserves to balance the budget would not jeopardize reserves falling below the recommended 15% threshold of the operating budget. He also argued that city officials should be making a stronger effort to lobby state leaders for support, noting that in his experience Republicans at the Capitol—aside from former Governor Scott Walker—were willing to collaborate with the city. Soglin specifically mentioned Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, recalling how Vos was open to working with Madison on establishing a regional transit authority, which could generate a significant amount of new revenue without burdening taxpayers. He urged city leaders to actively engage in advocacy rather than resorting to tax hikes and shifting blame. In addition Soglin discussed the relatively modest cost of a serious lobbying effort. Over the last 20 years, Milwaukee's lobbyists have averaged more than 2,600 hours a year lobbying state officials at an average annual cost of $177,000 per year.

Dave Mahoney spoke to the impact of the tax increase and new fees on the elderly and those on fixed incomes.

In contrast, after taking office in 2019, this administration cut our modest lobbying effort to the bone. Prior to 2019, Madison’s lobbyists spent an average of 480 hours a year lobbying state officials. Under this administration, they’ve averaged just 247 hours a year. And at a critical juncture last year—when Act 12 was being crafted to reshape future state aid to municipalities—Madison's lobbyist spent just four hours communicating with state officials, while Milwaukee’s lobbying team invested 298 hours communicating with them. More information on the city's lobbying efforts can be found in previous blog posts here and here.

Look for more information from this press conference on broadcast news tonight and in print and online media tomorrow. *46% of students in the district are economically disadvantaged. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Madison Metropolitan School District 2022-2023 Report Card. If you enjoy this content, please like and share. For questions and media inquiries, email asaloutos@tds.net or call (608) 345-9009. © Alex Saloutos 2024.