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Finance committee moves levy-freeze resolution to full board, proposing CPI cap of 3.5%
Summary
The Sawyer County Finance Committee voted March 12 to send a proposed tax-levy freeze resolution to the full county board; the proposal would tie allowable levy increases to CPI with a 3.5% cap, aiming to reduce disparities caused by rapid valuation growth.
The Sawyer County Finance Committee voted to forward a proposed resolution to the full county board asking that allowable levy increases be tied more closely to the Consumer Price Index, with a proposed cap of 3.5%.
Finance Director (S4) said several counties have advanced similar measures and that the draft was tailored for Sawyer County. He told the committee that “what this is proposing then is tying it more to a CPI with a cap of 3.5%,” and that net new construction is a primary driver of the revenue-limit increases counties face.
The director said the current setup can “tend to penalize northern areas,” where higher property valuations can reduce shared revenue relative to other jurisdictions. He argued the CPI-based cap would “level the playing field” by limiting how much the revenue limit can grow when valuations increase rapidly.
Committee member Jeff Haney moved to send the resolution to the full board; Tom Duffy seconded. Chair (S1) called for the voice vote and recorded the motion as moved.
If the full board considers the resolution, it would be a local endorsement of the approach described by the finance director and would direct county representatives to support state-level changes consistent with the draft. The full board will consider the resolution at a future meeting; no formal board action on the substantive proposal occurred in committee on March 12.
