Wisconsin Nixes Personal Property Tax, Allows Milwaukee Tax Boost

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a wide-ranging revenue reform bill Tuesday that boosts funding to municipalities, repeals a much-hated business property tax, and creates a process for Milwaukee to avert a “fiscal calamity” through a hefty sales tax increase.

Evers, a second-term Democrat, signed the so-called “shared revenue bill,” AB 245, after lengthy negotiations with Republican lawmakers, who control both houses of the Legislature. The law creates a new formula for state funding of towns, cities, villages and counties, guaranteeing a minimum increase of 20% to most units of local government. According to a fiscal analysis ...