PLEASANT PRAIRIE VILLAGE BOARD PASSES RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF STOPPING A TAX SHIFT BY CLOSING THE DARK STORE LOOPHOLE AND REVERSING THE WALGREENS DECISION
On Monday, May 15, 2017, the Pleasant Prairie Village Board passed a resolution in support of two bills being proposed in the Wisconsin State Legislature, LRB-0373, the Dark Store Bill and LRB-0372, Reversing the Walgreens v. City of Madison decision. The purpose of the legislation is to prevent two tax avoidance strategies, currently being used by large national chain corporations from further shifting the property tax burden to small, local businesses, manufacturers and homeowners.
"Passing these bills is an important step that our state legislators can take to restore fairness to our property tax system," explained Village President John P. Steinbrink. "While these bills won't provide any extra tax revenue for municipalities in Wisconsin, they will prevent further tax shifting from large national chain corporations to small local businesses, manufacturers and individual homeowners. These bills are about protecting homeowners, main street businesses, and manufacturers from having even more of the property tax burden shifted to them from large national chains."
During May of 2016, Pleasant Prairie's Village Board invited Senator Van Wanggaard and Representative Samantha Kerkman to discuss the topic during a special public meeting. The Board did so because of the significant impact these issues have on the fairness of how the property tax burden is distributed among the different property taxpayers throughout the State of Wisconsin. Evaluation of the total property value at risk in the Village of Pleasant Prairie reveals the potential for a tax shift to small and local businesses and residential taxpayers of 17%.
"Pleasant Prairie would like to thank Representative Rob Brooks and Senators Duey Stroebel and Roger Roth for circulating these two bills and the other legislators who will support these important protections for local property tax payers," added Steinbrink. "It means a lot to us that our legislators are here to help protect local taxpayers and the financial integrity of local services like police, fire and public works." A copy of the resolution passed by the Village Board is available as part of the May 15 2017 Village Board e-packet posted here. A video of a press conference related to the matter is also available by clicking here.