Starving Government
Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, has drawn up a motion that would cap the levy limit for counties and municipalities at zero percent or the percentage change in local governments' equalized value due to new construction.
Doyle's budget caps levies at 4 percent or new construction. Last budget, it was capped at 2 percent. (Budget paper 725)
Vos said the proposal should be bipartisan, that every candidate pledges to do something about property taxes. "When we make those statements, we should make a sincere and real effort to do it," Vos said.
Under Vos's proposal, the cap sunsets in three years. In Doyle's, it sunsets in two years.
Rep. Pedro Colon, D-Milwaukee, said Vos' proposal was voted on by the public in the last election. "It's what you ran on and a good chunk of people voted against you," said Colon. "I appreciate the fact that you think this is bipartisan ... but the idea of doing it in this manner was thoroughly discussed and thoroughly rejected."
Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, said the proposal is like the "son of TABOR or the cousin of TABOR."
Lehman accused Vos of posturing. He said a proposal like this "is doing nothing else but trying to starve government."
Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, called the plan "a political witch's brew concocted in offices in Madison that defy common sense."
He said legislators have no idea of the costs of local governments throughout the state. "It is completely illogical to impose that economic absurdity on local governments that are meeting the needs of their citizens," he said.
Rep. Dan Meyer, R-Eagle River, said he gets calls from his constituents saying they can't afford to stay in their homes any longer because of their rising property taxes. Road conditions and police coverage take a backseat to having a roof overhead, he said.
"For some reason we're more concerned about starving government than we are about the people footing the bill," he said.
A former mayor, Meyer said he cut levies four years straight, and the town didn't fall apart. "I could live under these caps no problem," he said.
Labels: Colon, Lehman, Levy Limit, Shared Revenue, Vos
