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Oshkosh urges state to restore municipal services payment funding to pre-2011 levels
Summary
Council unanimously approved a resolution urging the state Joint Finance Committee to fund municipal services payments at 100%, citing a decline to roughly 37.6% reimbursement and an estimated $1.7 million local impact.
The Oshkosh Common Council voted April 22 to urge the Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee to restore funding for the state municipal services payment program to full reimbursement.
Council member Nichols, who introduced the resolution, and city staff explained that the municipal services payment program reimburses cities for state-owned properties inside municipal boundaries that do not pay property taxes. Nichols said the program once reimbursed municipalities at 100% but that since 2011 funding has not kept pace; staff said Oshkosh’s reimbursement is now about 37.6 percent. City representatives told council the shortfall shifts costs to local taxpayers and that Oshkosh has roughly 30% of parcels tax-exempt, including institutions such as UW Oshkosh and state facilities.
City officials said the governor’s proposed budget included an increase but that the Joint Finance Committee had not yet acted; staff estimated restoring the program for Oshkosh would mean about $1.7 million in relief for local taxpayers. In council debate, members urged residents to contact state legislators and the Joint Finance Committee and highlighted two public listening sessions April 28–29.
Councilors voted 7-0 to adopt the resolution. City staff said they would share information on city communications channels and planned to meet with state legislators directly.
