Fiscal Facts

After a decade of modest increases, property taxes in Wisconsin have risen more rapidly over the past two years. Factors contributing to the growth include voter-approved school referenda, increases in state revenue limits on schools, and greater levies by municipalities and counties to make debt payments.

In a state where most higher education institutions are struggling to address financial and enrollment challenges, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faces some of the greatest difficulties of all.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee lags in key revenues compared to peer urban research universities, as a decade of enrollment decline has exacerbated the effects of an eight-year tuition freeze and state funding that has not kept pace with inflation.

The number of students completing bachelor’s and advanced degrees in health science fields at southeast Wisconsin colleges and universities rose considerably in the last decade, providing much-needed talent to one of the largest, fastest-growing sectors of the region’s economy.

Sales and use tax revenues in Wisconsin increased markedly in the first four months of 2021 when compared to the same period in 2019, another sign that economic activity is rebounding strongly from the COVID-19 crisis. Yet this revenue growth also shows notable shifts in key sectors that could have potential impacts on state and local finances.

Projections for state tax collections have been revised upward by an unprecedented $4.4 billion through June 2023, positioning state reserves to reach historic levels and giving Wisconsin a once-in-a-generation chance to address some of its most longstanding challenges.

The Union Grove-Yorkville Fire Department is an outlier among its peers in its continued exclusive use of part-time responders. And as call volumes continue to grow, any desire to improve its response times and service levels will likely require greater use of full-time staffing.

Milwaukee city officials have pursued significant policing reforms amid the national debate during the past year, but further opportunities may include expanding violence prevention initiatives and crisis response, and bolstering whistleblower protections, critical incident reviews, and community reporting.

After four straight years of growth, the enrollment of students labeled as English Learners (ELs) in Wisconsin public schools has fallen for the second year in a row. This decrease is noteworthy because of the particular needs of this population and the potential impact on funding for EL education under the state formula.

The finances of Wisconsin’s two largest school districts are stronger than expected as they begin to grapple with their 2022 budgets, thanks to federal relief funds and voter approval of referenda allowing them to exceed state revenue limits.