CapitalSky
2015-16, No.12
March 23, 2015

In this Issue:


League and WCA Joint Memo on Elimination of Personal Property Tax

Preempting Municipal Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes

Recently Introduced Legislation

Hearings on Municipal Bills

League of Wisconsin Municipalities
 
Ph:  (608) 267-2380
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 www.lwm-info.org  
 
Legislative Bulletin Archive 
 
League and Counties Association Inform Legislators of Negative Ramifications of Eliminating the Personal Property Tax


 
Last Thursday, Rep. Kulp (R-Stratford) and Sen. Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) announced they are seeking co-sponsors for a bill, LRB 1183/LRB 2009, they plan to introduce phasing out the personal property tax by 2020. The draft legislation provides no payments to municipalities to make-up for the elimination of personal property taxes. In addition, the bill eliminates the computer aid payment that the state has been making to municipalities since the state exempted computers from the personal property tax in 2001. 


On Friday, the League and the Wisconsin Counties Association distributed a joint memo to all state legislators explaining the negative ramifications of eliminating the personal property tax without providing aid to municipalities to make up for the lost tax base. The main impact will be to shift more of the property tax burden onto homeowners, who already pay 70% of the statewide property tax levy. The bill if enacted would also negatively impact TIF districts across the state.


Read the joint League/WCA memo here.  


Municipal officials are urged to send a similar message to legislators explaining how eliminating the personal property tax would impact your community.

Proposed Legislation Limits Municipal Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes

Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) is seeking co-sponsors for a bill, LRB 1116/5, he plans to introduce eliminating the ability of municipalities to regulate electronic cigarettes more stringently than the state. 
 
 

Last week, the League sent the following message to state legislators urging them to not sign on as co-sponsors to Rep. Kleefisch's bill.


The League of Wisconsin Municipalities urges you to not sign on as a co-sponsor of LRB 1116/5, legislation Rep. Kleefisch plans to introduce eliminating the ability of municipalities to regulate electronic cigarettes more stringently that the state.  Wisconsin cities and villages are granted extensive home rule powers to govern themselves without state interference. The League often opposes legislation preempting municipal police power authority.

 

Regardless of how you feel about the merits of electronic cigarettes, LRB 1116/5  is another example of the Legislature responding to the concerns of a business by interfering with the ability of localities to regulate the business. Municipal elected bodies should be able to respond to the concerns and values of their community by exercising municipal police powers in a manner that they have determined protects the health, safety and welfare of the community. 

We urge you to refrain from chipping away at local control. We urge you to not sign on as a co-sponsor of LRB 1116/5.  Thanks for considering our comments.


We urge municipal officials to send a similar message in support of local control to your legislators.
 

Recently Introduced Legislation

AB 108, Requiring a Civil Service System with a Just Cause Standard of Discipline. Requires local governments to establish a civil service system by January 1, 2017, that provides that an employee with permanent status in class may be removed, suspended without pay, discharged, reduced in base 
pay, or demoted, or has his or her contract nonrenewed, only for just cause. 
Rep. Hesselbein (D-Middleton) introduced this bill. The League opposes this bill.  Send comments to League staff about this bill 

AB 111Inspection of Renovations of One and Two Family Dwellings. Requires an inspection of any addition to, or any remodeling, improvement, or other alteration, except repair, of, a one-family or two-family dwelling the cost of which exceeds 20 percent of the assessed value of the dwelling. Rep. Kulp (R-Stratford).  The League has not yet taken a position on this bill.  Send comments to League staff about this bill.
Hearings on Municipal Bills 

State Budget Bill, the Joint Finance Committee will hold two public hearings this week on the Governor's state budget bill, AB 21/SB 21:

Monday, March 23 (10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) University of Wisconsin-Barron County Fine Arts Theatre 1800 College Drive Rice Lake, WI 54868

Thursday, March 26 (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Reedsburg High School CAL Center Auditorium 1100 South Albert Avenue Reedsburg, WI 53959 

TIF Study Committee Bills, The Senate Committee on Economic Development will hold a public hearing Wednesday at 1:30 in room 300 Southeast, State Capitol, on SB 50, SB 54, and SB 57, all of which make modifications to the TIF law as recommended by the Legislative Council's TIF Study Committee. The League supports all three bills.