W.A.A.O.  Position on Proposed County Assessing Plan

To:  WAAO Members

From:  WAAO Executive Board

Sent to all members via Email:  11-24-2009 

We all should be aware by now of Secretary Roger Ervin’s proposal for a County Assessment system.  The WAAO Leadership has decided to wait on a formal response to the Secretary until we have the specific statutory language in hand.  Currently, the only information provided is from the PowerPoint presentation at the Town Hall meetings. WAAO is in favor of promoting and ensuring equitable assessments but we are not in agreement with County Assessment being the cure-all.

The Directors encourage all members to attend the town hall meetings as Representatives for their jurisdictions or for your own personal interest and ask questions.  We also encourage you to contact your State Representatives, both the Senate and the Assembly and ask them not to sign on to mandatory County Assessment legislation.  The legislation may come out as early as this December. 

Rather than scrap the current system because of a few abusers, would it be better to increase the standards and provide the DOR the resources needed to enforce higher standards?   This is something WAAO has been promoting for the last decade.   Is a shift from the voluntary local assessment administration to a mandatory county administered system in the best interest of the taxpayers of Wisconsin?   Is dismantling the current equalization and Revenue oversight opening the door for greater political abuse and inequities?

At this point WAAO Leadership is closely monitoring new information on the County Assessment Proposal as it becomes available.  We recommend each of you weigh the impact the proposal will have on you, your communities and the overall equity of assessments in Wisconsin. Once the specific legislation is available WAAO will respond, but in the meantime, we recommend you contact your State Representatives and express your opinions.

Join the Discussion about the  Proposal

View information and documents from the WI DOR

What is the public saying about this proposal? (read)