Here & Now

Wisconsin's 2026 Governor Race and Local Government Funding

Frederica Freyberg:
The issue of trying to hold down property taxes while also being able to fund services pertains not just to schools, but to things like fire departments and EMS. Like schools, cities also pass referendums asking local voters’ permission to raise property taxes to pay for basic services. Now, this has become more common in recent years, as state funding for local government continues to fall behind the cost of inflation. In our ongoing series looking at the biggest issues in the race for governor “Here & Now” senior political reporter Zac Schultz asked the candidates if they want to see any changes to how the state shares revenue with local government.

Zac Schultz:
In 2023 Governor Tony Evers and legislative Republicans celebrated a bipartisan compromise that boosted funding for local governments by nearly 20%. But after more than a decade of property tax freezes, local governments around the state have still been forced to go to referendums since then to ask the voters to raise their own taxes to cover the increased costs of basic services like police and fire protection. We asked the candidates for governor if they want to see changes to how the state shares revenue with local governments.

Tom Tiffany:
I served two terms as a locally elected official. I think we need to make sure that they are well funded. I think, especially on the infrastructure side in regards to roads, because that’s oftentimes the biggest thing for local units of government. We need to make sure that they have good funding to be able to maintain their infrastructure, especially roads and bridges.

David Crowley:
As the county executive, 80% of our local tax levy is going towards, you know, state-mandated services. These are services that, you know, most folks may not actually utilize, but those most used amenities, like our public parks, like our county zoo, like our county transit system, these are non-mandated services. And it really puts those particular services that help to improve the quality of life for individuals who live in or around or just play in Milwaukee County, those are always on the chopping block. And so we actually need a better course of action. We need a better relationship with the state of Wisconsin for all local municipalities to be able to fund the necessary programs and services that their residents expect but also rely on every day.

Kelda Roys:
I think that the state needs to meet its commitment to local governments and to our public schools. You know, the promise was that the state would cover two-thirds of the cost and we have really very, very infrequently ever lived up to that. Meanwhile, local property taxpayers are asked to raise their own already too high property taxes just to keep the lights on for our schools and keep the snowplows on the road and police and firefighters on the street. That’s not fair. The state is sitting on a multibillion dollar surplus and has for years, and it’s time that we reinvested that money where taxpayers expect and deserve it to be spent in our local communities.

Joel Brennan:
When we have the number of referenda that are still going on, when, you know, places like Whitewater and Stevens Point have to go to referendum in order to create positions for firefighters, that system is still not working the way it needs to work. And so, you know, I think that no matter what we do, we need to ensure that the relationship between local government and state government is strong and that we’re hearing what’s happening at the local level. And I think that we have for many years, as state shared revenue was frozen, I think we were not listening to local government as their costs were increasing.

Francesca Hong:
The state has been starving our local municipalities and for over a decade now. And so it’s imperative that we have a more equitable shared revenue formula to make sure that our local municipalities have the resources they need. They say when government is the government that’s closest to your door, is the government that’s going to pass policies that impact you quickest. So it’s, it’s for our communities. It’s necessary for our communities to have municipalities that have the resources to provide the services that people need.

Sara Rodriguez:
We do need more investment in local government. When I talk to municipalities and cities all across the state, they are really struggling to be able to provide the services that their constituents expect – basic services. We’re talking about making sure that their parks stay open, their public libraries stay open, that there’s a public pool that that kids can go to in the summer. So we’re going to have to look at that formula of how we fund municipalities and cities to make sure they can provide those services.

Missy Hughes:
You know, local governments are really struggling under the weight of a lack of funding. We need to do better and make sure that local communities have resources. My platform of building the economy is really focused on looking at the main streets around the state, saying, what do you need? What are your priorities? Giving some resources so that then they can start to generate momentum and be able to have local economies that are providing good jobs, health care and the services that Wisconsinites need.

Mandela Barnes:
There’s long been a funding flaw that has made it more difficult for municipalities to be able to get the resources, or even the money that goes to Madison, to come back at the same rate. This has been an issue in Milwaukee. That’s why we’ve seen the raise in sales tax in the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. But that didn’t change the formula. The percentage is still the same. So effectively, there’s even more money coming in. But at a time also when people are feeling the pinch, you know, at the grocery store or anytime they’re at any checkout counter. Now we have this increased sales tax, which is making it even harder for people. But the reason that is the case is because Madison has failed and the Legislature has failed to actually implement a real solution to make it easier for municipalities to get the support they deserve. And we’re going to be convening a group of local elected officials of mayors very soon to be able to have this conversation, have this discussion in a real way.

Zac Schultz:
Reporting from Madison, I’m Zac Schultz for “Here & Now.”