Today, Governor Tony Evers announced a plan to pursue $1.3 billion in property tax relief, focused largely on additional government spending while failing to address the primary drivers of higher property taxes. The plan comes after the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld a partial veto by the governor that resulted in a 400-year autopilot property tax increase for Wisconsin taxpayers and property owners. 

Wisconsin’s property taxes are among the highest in the nation. In April of 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 against two taxpayers, represented by WMC’s Litigation Center, challenging a controversial veto by Gov. Tony Evers in the 2023 state budget. 

The partial veto authorized the increase of school property tax levies by $325 per pupil for 402 years, four centuries longer than the two-year bump intended by the Legislature. 

“WMC is a major proponent of tax relief for Wisconsin families and businesses, but Governor Evers’ actions, as it relates to property taxes, speak louder than his words,” said WMC Executive Vice President of Government Relations Scott Manley. “If Governor Evers is serious about tax relief, the obvious solution is to repeal his highly dubious 400-year autopilot tax increase.”

Property taxes are not just a pocketbook issue; they are a competitiveness problem for Wisconsin. High property taxes make it harder for Wisconsin to attract and retain talent, grow businesses, and compete nationally. Tax policy will be a major focus of WMC’s upcoming Wisconsin Competitiveness Report, set to be released in early February. The report will outline how Wisconsin stacks up against other states and set forward-looking solutions to make Wisconsin competitive again.