Gov. Doyle: Statement of Governor Doyle Regarding Property Tax Freeze Report by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau

Contact:
Ethnie Groves, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2156

“Last week, I announced a plan to freeze property taxes the
responsible way. Not only does my plan set strict limits on taxes, but it
makes an historic funding commitment to schools and local governments that
will take the burden off property taxpayers.

Today, the respected, non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau
issued a report that shows that homeowners would fare better under my
property tax freeze than the one being debated today by the
Republican-controlled Assembly. Their report underscores the point that my
plan is an actual freeze: instead of rising property taxes year after year,
the average taxpayer’s bill would be $2 less in the next two years than it
was last year.

Critics in the Legislature have claimed that my freeze is
not a freeze. Now, their own report shows just the opposite. Not only will
my plan freeze property taxes and save taxpayers more than the Republican
plan, it will protect education, local economic development, and vital
services like police and firefighters.

I hope that Republicans will take this report to heart, and
work with my administration to pass a responsible property tax freeze as
part of the budget that protects both taxpayers and our priorities.”

A copy of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau report is available
at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/Misc/021505_comparison.pdf.