Fiscal Facts

In recent decades, the distribution of spending between state and local government in Wisconsin has undergone a slow but profound shift, with the gap between the local and state shares nearly erased.

As a pandemic and economic turmoil underscore the value of critical local government services, Wisconsin ranks 15th among the states in local government spending, but 3.6% below the per capita national average.

For the first time on record, Wisconsin’s main fund closed the year with a small positive balance, wiping out the longstanding financial gap that was often referred to as its “hidden deficit.”

For the ninth straight year in 2020, Wisconsin’s tax burden — state and local taxes paid by Wisconsin residents and businesses as a share of income — declined, reaching its lowest point in at least a half-century.

Continuing a year-end tradition launched by one of its predecessor organizations more than a decade ago, the Wisconsin Policy Forum announces its top five research findings for 2020.

With fire and emergency medical services (EMS) departments in the La Crosse region facing a host of challenges, collaborative action by local providers could improve service levels at a lower cost than acting independently.

The University of Wisconsin System and its flagship university are falling behind their peers in key financial metrics, as a tuition freeze, declining enrollment, stagnant state funding, and lackluster growth in research spending threaten their long-term competitiveness.

Amid a pandemic and global recession, school districts are increasing property taxes for the coming year by 3.3% — lower than last year’s 4.5% but still the second-highest percentage since 2010.

Even as residents drove less, Wisconsin has recorded a significant increase in fatal car crashes and crash fatalities this year.