Walker budget plan boasts tax cuts, reserve concerns

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Watchdog.org:

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker’s “Reform Dividend” budget proposal pays back taxpayers with a bevy of tax cuts.

 

Overall tax relief in the biennial budget approaches $600 million.

 

TAX CUT BUDGET: Gov. Scott Walker’s budget plan provides nearly $600 million in tax and fee cuts, but it raises spending and reserve fund questions among budget watchers.

But the 2017-19 spending plan raises some serious “rainy day” concerns with a Wisconsin taxpayers advocate.

The Republican governor promises to hold the line again on property taxes. His budget plan does away with the state portion of the property tax levy, eliminating one source of ongoing property tax increases.

“This tax, which had gone up each time a property’s value increased, will no longer be imposed on Wisconsin property owners,” states a Department of Administration budget analysis.

To accomplish this tax exorcism, Walker’s plan provides more than $180 million in fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 to ensure continued state funding for forestry programs covered by local property taxpayers. The administration says the state forestry account in the conservation fund will be unaffected through this “tax relief action.”