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SUMMER 2016 •
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rates can be confusing. A lower rate does not
necessarily mean that less is paid in property
taxes. Instead, the rate reflects the ratio of
the total levy to total taxable property values.
The tax rate can increase if the levy rises or if
property values fall.”
Janesville’s property tax levy was just over
$498 per person in 2014/15, trailing only
Sheboygan ($443), Manitowoc ($439), and
Beloit ($389). Brookfield was the highest at
$964 per person; the state median was $589.
Janesville’s property tax rate was $8.15 per
$1,000 of value. The high was $16.54 per
thousand (Racine) and the low was $5.35 per
thousand (New Berlin). The state median was
$8.65 per $1,000 of value.
While the numbers show that Janesville is a
fairly low tax city, other factors are in play.
Municipalities have been subject to limits that
cap increases in property taxes for the last
decade. These limits allow property taxes to
grow at the greater of the rate of new
construction or a fixed percentage, which
used to be set between two and four percent.
However, since 2011, this fixed percentage
has been set at zero, meaning that municipal
levies (and the ability to raise property taxes)
were frozen unless there was new
construction. This fact—combined with
Janesville’s shared revenue situation, which
we will get to in a moment—often leads to
city budget shortfalls.
STATE SHARED REVENUE
According to Municipal Facts, “the state
county and municipal aid program distributes
state income, sales, and excise taxes to local
governments for discretionary use. Beginning
in the early 1970s, shared revenues were
distributed partly based on property values.
Cities or villages with lower per capita
property values received more aid, while
those with high values received less.”
However, the state shared revenue formula
has been frozen since the early 2000s.
Janesville received $5.1 million in state
shared revenue in 2013; the state median
was $5.9 million. The largest beneficiaries of
the shared revenue program were Racine
($27.5 million in 2013), Green Bay ($18.5
million) and Beloit ($16.8 million).
Menomonee Falls ($501,000), New Berlin
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
Janesville
Franklin
Manitowoc
New Berlin
Menomonee Falls
Greenfield
West Bend
Oshkosh
Fond du Lac
Appleton
Green Bay
Sheboygan
Sun Prairie
Eau Claire
Wausau
Oak Creek
Kenosha
West Allis
Waukesha
Beloit
Wauwatosa
La Crosse
Brookfield
Racine
Property Taxes and State Shared Revenue per Capita
Continued on page 12
Total
Taxes+
Total
Property
Total
Shared
Taxes +
Shared
Property
Tax per
Shared Revenue
Shared
Revenue
City
Population
Tax
Capita
Revenue per Capita Revenue
per Capita
Janesville
63,600
31,641
$498
5,116
$80
36,757
$578
Franklin
35,810
20,509
$573
697
$19
21,206
$592
Manitowoc
33,685
14,758
$438
5,813
$173
20,571
$611
New Berlin
39,915
24,682
$618
676
$17
25,357
$635
Menomonee Falls 35,710
22,412
$628
501
$14
22,913
$642
Greenfield
36,770
22,831
$621
1,488
$40
24,319
$661
West Bend
31,425
19,180
$610
1,726
$55
20,906
$665
Oshkosh
66,300
33,333
$503
10,778
$163
44,111
$665
Fond du Lac
43,100
22,860
$530
6,124
$142
28,983
$672
Appleton
73,150
38,390
$525
10,931
$149
49,321
$674
Green Bay
104,300
52,416
$503
18,466
$177
70,882
$680
Sheboygan
48,965
21,677
$443
11,725
$239
33,403
$682
Sun Prairie
30,395
19,582
$644
1,253
$41
20,835
$685
Eau Claire
66,480
38,213
$575
7,575
$114
45,788
$689
Wausau
39,180
22,312
$569
4,805
$123
27,118
$692
Oak Creek
34,695
19,329
$557
6,125
$177
25,454
$734
Kenosha
99,700
60,156
$603
14,034
$141
74,190
$744
West Allis
60,300
39,306
$652
8,881
$147
48,187
$799
Waukesha
70,900
54,546
$769
3,409
$48
57,955
$817
Beloit
36,820
14,300
$388
16,852
$458
31,152
$846
Wauwatosa
46,705
39,050
$836
1,783
$38
40,833
$874
La Crosse
51,600
34,150
$662
11,478
$222
45,628
$884
Brookfield
37,835
36,495
$965
990
$26
37,485
$991
Racine
78,700
52,085
$662
27,527
$350
79,612
$1,012
Source: Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance publication MunicipalFacts15
1. Total amount in $1,000's (not "per capita")
PEER CITY FINANCIAL ANALYSIS - REVENUES (2013)