 |
|
|
| 1/12/2010 9:13:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | LdF board protest Department of Revenue's assessment plan
Board approves operator’s licenses, appoints agent
Taking a dim view of a Wisconsin Department of Revenue plan to centralize real estate and personal property tax assessment activities at the county level, Lac du Flambeau town supervisors Francis P. Chartier, Matthew Gaulke and Mike Christensen have sent a protest letter to DOR secretary Roger Ervin.
Copies of the letter were also sent to State Sen. Jim Holperin and State Rep. Dan Meyer .
The proposal also attracted the ire of the Wisconsin Towns Association board of directors, which cast a unanimous Dec. 18 vote to oppose Ervin's plan they believe will result in a loss of local control and the increased cost burden placed on counties and property owners.
The cost of the DOR's proposal is being estimated at $25 per parcel as compared to the $10 or less currently incurred under the present assessment system.
"We see this as an insidious usurpation of local control ...," Lac du Flambeau town supervisors wrote in their letter to Ervin.
"The proposed consolidation attempts to apply a one-size-fits-all scheme to assessment, could ultimately drive down values at the high end and artificially drive values at the low end. We find it problematic that you spent all this time and effort to develop a plan that a majority of municipalities and counties do not want and didn't ask for. We urge you to drop this plan now."
Among other items, supervisors objected to what they said would be a loss of local control over the assessment system.
"The plan is entirely unfair to the property owners of Wisconsin in that they would be forced to deal with people from afar, whereas under the current procedure contacts are made at the local level - i.e. general assessment questions, Board of Review, etc.," supervisors wrote. "To 'standardize' the valuation of unique individual parcels does a great disservice to all property owners."
Supervisors said they were also "very concerned" about the costs associated with the DOR plan.
"In our case, the Vilas County Courthouse, which houses county government offices, is completely occupied," supervisors noted. "Adding another entire department would translate to additional space, furniture and equipment requirements. They would either have to rent space or put an addition on the building to accommodate an assessment department. Then there is the cost of personnel, probably a minimum of four people with salaries, fringe benefits, etc. We suspect the same conditions exist in other counties. This would greatly increase our county tax levy burden over what we currently pay for assessment services."
Supervisors disputed Ervin's claims that a county-level assessment system would bring "more accuracy" to the assessment process by adjusting parcels annually at market values.
"If you look at this realistically, market values are developed by taking a few sales (compared to the whole base of parcels) and applying the resulting increase or decrease to all parcels," supervisors noted. "Market values are not an accurate representation of the value of each individual parcel. Thus your claim of more accuracy doesn't hold up."
Lac du Flambeau supervisors also disputed Ervin's fairness claims.
"You ... claim this new system is fair because it imposes a consistent statewide valuation process," they wrote. "State assessment practices already provide a consistent process; valuing individual parcels according to their individual characteristics is certainly more equitable than what you propose."
Town supervisors also took issue with Ervin's efficiency claims.
"We don't agree," they wrote, "because it's been proven time and again that the bigger government gets, the less efficient it becomes.
Operators licenses, agent
In other matters taken up at the town board meeting, supervisors approved bartending operator's licenses for Sayner resident Sylvia M. Hilgart and Lac du Flambeau residents Jenny L. Stone, Lois E. Vetterneck, Henrietta L. Wayman, June E. LaBarge, Gabrielle D. Mitchell, Mary R. Mitchell and John Edwards.
Supervisors also approved the appointment of LaBarge as agent for the Lac du Flambeau Smoke Shop, 597 Peace Pipe Road.
By state law, all corporations/organizations or limited liability companies applying for or holding a license to sell fermented malt beverages and/or intoxicating liquor must appoint an agent. LdF Smoke Shop is owned by the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
LaBarge replaces former agent Nadine Poupart, who recently left the employ of the smoke shop.
Zoning committee meeting slated
The town zoning committee will hold a 1:30 p.m. public hearing Thursday, Jan. 14, at the Lac du Flambeau town hall.
The committee will consider a request tendered by Richard Wise, 14073 Crawling Stone Drive (S19, T40N, R5E).
Wise is requesting permission for an addition to a non-conforming structure not meeting setback requirements from Little Crawling Stone Lake.
Zoning committee members will conduct an on-site inspection at their convenience in advance of the Jan. 14 public hearing.
Wise's zoning committee petition is available for inspection in the Lac du Flambeau town office between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Anyone having an interest is invited to attend the public hearing and be heard.
Interested parties unable to attend are invited to send written comments to Zoning Committee chairman Robert Schneider at P.O. Box 68, Lac du Flambeau, WI 54538.
Eric Johnson can be reached at ejohnson@lakelandtimes.com.
|
Comment on this story
|
|
|
|
