Oshkosh council asks state lawmakers to let certain cities levy a 0.5% municipal sales tax

The Oshkosh Common Council approved a resolution asking the Wisconsin Legislature to authorize certain cities, including Oshkosh, to levy a 0.5% municipal sales tax in counties that do not have an adopted county sales tax.

Councilmember Nichols, who brought the resolution forward, emphasized that the measure does not itself impose a tax but asks the legislature to give Oshkosh the option to levy a 0.5% tax so the council can consider it with public outreach and an offset to the property tax if appropriate. "This is not a request to add a sales tax for the city of Oshkosh. That is not what this is," Nichols said. She said the intent is to give the city another revenue tool short of raising property taxes.

John Hintz, a Winnebago County supervisor, spoke during public comment urging the city to work with county officials first and not bypass the county on tax issues. Debate among council members focused on timing, coordination with the county and the legislature, and whether the measure was primarily advisory. Councilmember Flom said he opposed the resolution because he felt the timing was poor while the city was seeking other state funding. Several council members argued the resolution simply asks for the option and does not create a tax today.

On the roll call the clerk read Spambauer (Aye), Flom (No), Bulow (Aye), Stevenson (Aye), Nichols (Aye), Larson (Aye) and another member recorded in the roll call (Aye), producing a 6–1 vote in favor.

The resolution will be transmitted to the city's state legislators as a request for legislative authorization; any actual tax would require a future council vote and other statutory steps.