Sep 16, 2026 · 10 min · 7 segments
This week, our stories revolve around education: a major award for Wisconsin analysis last year's record breaking tax increasesrecent results and trends of math aptitiude in the U.S.an example of…
It's official, the numbers have been crunched and last year, Wisconsin absorbed the largest statewide property tax increase in nearly two decades.
Those are both household budget records, especially considering Dane County was already in the top 100 of highest taxed counties in the nation.
We are increasing taxes on ourselves beyond how much they were going to go up anyway.
Second, our governor, Tony Evers, through a veto, made it state law that school spending can increase $325 per student every year, which adds beyond how much the referendum adds, which is already beyond how much they were going to go up in the first place.
And when state aid doesn't cover all the bill and all the beyonds, it's forced on our property taxes.
Now, without Wisconsin's levy limits, these increases would be significantly higher because governments would have more room to raise taxes.
And yes, if government has room to justify an increase, it usually takes it and figures out the spending later.
Quietly, WPT has spent decades successfully funding fighting for restraints, then defending them once they're in place as we continue to press forward on more restraints.
And when I see news items about states trying to rein in property taxes, the reforms they're proposing are versions of what Wisconsin already has in place.
It's official, the numbers have been crunched and last year, Wisconsin absorbed the largest statewide property tax increase in nearly two decades.
Those are both household budget records, especially considering Dane County was already in the top 100 of highest taxed counties in the nation.
We are increasing taxes on ourselves beyond how much they were going to go up anyway.
Second, our governor, Tony Evers, through a veto, made it state law that school spending can increase $325 per student every year, which adds beyond how much the referendum adds, which is already beyond how much they were going to go up in the first place.
And when state aid doesn't cover all the bill and all the beyonds, it's forced on our property taxes.
Now, without Wisconsin's levy limits, these increases would be significantly higher because governments would have more room to raise taxes.
And yes, if government has room to justify an increase, it usually takes it and figures out the spending later.
Quietly, WPT has spent decades successfully funding fighting for restraints, then defending them once they're in place as we continue to press forward on more restraints.
And when I see news items about states trying to rein in property taxes, the reforms they're proposing are versions of what Wisconsin already has in place.
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