E-update from the Desk of Governor Scott Walker

One of the most important duties I have serving as your Governor is to provide you directly with updates related to the operation of our state government.  In an effort to improve communication, periodically I will be sending out an e-update to provide you with more information about what is going on in state government.  Please feel free to share this update with your family, friends, and others who may be interested in state government operations.  

Moving Jobs and Headquarters to Wisconsin  

I campaigned for office with the goal of helping the private sector create 250,000 new jobs by 2015. Over the 3 years before I took office Wisconsin saw net private sector job losses totaling 150,000. In 2011 we were able to turn that trend around and help create thousands of new jobs. This week I was pleased to announce that Kestrel Aircraft Company is moving their manufacturing and headquarters to Superior. 

This relocation will be a huge boost to the Superior area specifically, and will help Wisconsin’s overall economy. I was pleased we could collaborate with the local community to bring the company to Superior. 

Two state agencies, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, partnered with local officials to bring Kestrel’s expansion to Superior.

Kestrel isn’t the first business to move their headquarters to Wisconsin. Last year, FatWallet, a company that was voted “One of the 50 Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America” by Great Places To Work® moved to Wisconsin after Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch cold-called their CEO and told him about the advantages of doing business in Wisconsin. Additionally, Catalyst Exhibits moved across our southern border into Pleasant Prairie after Illinois increased taxes on businesses.

Even with these announcements, we still have a lot of work to do to get our economy back on track. I am optimistic that we have built the foundation for success in Wisconsin—a financially sound state budget and pro-growth attitude in government. Working together we can put our state on a path to prosperity.  

Property Taxes

Late last year, the Department of Public Instruction released information showing that for the first time in 6 years the school portion of the property tax levy will decrease across the state on average. Building off of this information, the non-partisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) recently released a study that shows when all of the individual items that compose property taxes are combined, statewide taxes went up just 0.3%—the smallest increase in 15 years.

According to WISTAX, “The tax hike is small this year principally because the school levy, the single largest part of a typical tax bill, dropped 1.0%. Tightened state-imposed revenue limits were the main cause.” 

Property tax data from WISTAX shows:

·         increases averaged 7.9% annually from 1986 to 1996;

·         4.9% average increase each year from 1996 to 2009;

·         an increase of 4.2% in 2010;

·         2.7% increase in 2011; and

·         an estimated 0.3% increase in 2012.

We are on the right track to protect property tax payers.

Supporting Additional Education Reforms

This week I announced my support for a package of education reforms that will be based on the work of three separate bipartisan taskforces. Every child deserves access to a great education. This reform package will improve accountability in our school system, improve teacher training, and lay the foundation for our children to succeed.  

Read to Lead—The work done by this group will improve Wisconsin’s long-stagnant reading achievement scores. The taskforce was comprised of reading teachers, researchers, advocates, Legislators from both parties, and others. 

Educator Effectiveness—This taskforce is aimed at creating a fair and rigorous system for evaluating teachers and principals. It was comprised of representation from Superintendent Tony Evers, my office, teacher unions, school boards, school administrators, and others. 

School Accountability—This taskforce was convened last summer to design an alternative to No Child Left Behind that focuses on setting high standards, requiring transparency, and measuring what matters to ensure all students are ready for college or career. 

Improving our schools, measuring student achievement growth, and increasing accountability and transparency in education will help ensure Wisconsin students can succeed. While members of the working groups deserve credit for their recommendations, our work is not yet done. I encourage parents, teachers, school board members, and all community leaders to help implement reforms to give students access to an even better education. 

More information about the legislation can be found by clicking here.   

Just Ask the Governor: Part II  

Each e-update I will answer a question submitted by a recipient of the previous e-update or from someone who contacts my office directly. 

Question: You said property taxes went down, but mine went up. How can that happen?  

Answer: Upon taking office as Governor, I sought to control property taxes while addressing a $3.6 billion state budget deficit. I did both by instituting reforms that gave local governments the tools to keep property taxes in check while also continuing needed services. Without the property tax controls and reforms in my budget, estimates show that median value homeowners would have seen their property taxes rise by $710 over the next two years.

The results of my reforms are now being seen. School tax levies dropped for the first time in six years while keeping our average classroom size lower than the national average.  

Individual property tax bills may vary from these results. School, county, municipal, technical college and state taxes are all included in your tax bill. The taxes levied by these governments depend on decisions made by various governing boards. State aids, levy controls, and property values also play a role.

For example, if a school district recently passed a referendum to exceed levy limits imposed by the state, taxes may have gone up in that district. Another example could be that a city may have borrowed money and they are now paying that debt back through the levy. These situations exist due to local decisions that are best explained on a case by case basis by talking to your local elected officials, municipal clerk, and/or assessor.

It has been a pleasure communicating with you.  It is an honor to serve as your Governor and represent the residents of Wisconsin.

Sincerely,

Governor Scott Walker

  If you wish to contact Governor Walker’s office about an issue, do not reply to this e-update.  Instead, please e-mail GovGeneral@wisconsin.gov with any comments that you have.

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