Wisconsin's Property Taxes and Push for Paid Leave on the Rise in 2020

Date: January 14, 2020

Will labor costs go up in 2020?

Between an increase in property taxes and the introduction of a paid family leave policy, Wisconsin small business owners may be facing an uptick in labor costs in 2020. 

Driven by school district spending, the Wisconsin Policy Forum reports property tax bills are increasing at their highest rate in a decade. The increases reflect recent referenda approved by voters that allow districts to exceed state-imposed revenue limits. The Senate Majority Leader, Senator Scott Fitzgerald, and his Senate colleagues are discussing using an expected increase in state revenues to fund a plan to reduce property taxes. 

Meanwhile, the “dark store” legislation, supported by NFIB, remains in committee. The “dark store” legislation, Senate Bill 130 and Assembly Bill 146, allows big-box retailers to base their assessments on abandoned stores, providing millions of dollars in tax reductions for big retailers but shifting a significant tax burden to residential and local Main Street business taxpayers.

On the paid leave front, legislation has been introduced that would expand coverage of Wisconsin’s Family and Medical Leave Law. The proposal would apply the mandate to all businesses with at least 25 employees.  

Senate Bill 596 would also expand coverage to include grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, and any eligible employee who has an eligible family member deployed overseas.

Employees would pay for the benefit by contributing a percentage of their pay into a trust fund.  The percentage rate would be determined by the Department of Workforce Development and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. However, even if employees fund the program, employers would likely have significant administrative costs, disruption of workplace scheduling, and have less ability to accommodate the needs of their workforce.

According to NFIB’s survey ballot results, 70 percent of our member respondents are opposed to the passage of Senate Bill 596. Assembly Bill 666 has been introduced as a companion proposal in the Assembly.

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