Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
I commend the Assembly's action to fund schools and local governments
By Mary Lazich
Wednesday, Sep 19 2007, 04:11 PM
I applaud the state Assembly’s bipartisan approval of a bill to fund public schools and local units of government. These major expenditures comprise over half of the state budget. The Assembly is to be commended for being proactive and taking the necessary action to ensure property tax bills that taxpayers receive in December will not have huge increases.
The Assembly voted 70-27 to take care of schools by funding school programs over the next two years at $6 billion in the first year that began July 1, 2007, and $6.3 billion in the second year. This move by the Assembly is significant, as the 12.3 billion over the next two years is the greatest amount of state aid to schools in Wisconsin history.
The Assembly also addressed the needs of local units of government. Shared revenue will be funded at $854.7 million a year, amounting to full funding for counties, cities, towns, and villages. Shared revenue stays intact without cuts.
The concerns of taxpayers were met as the Assembly appropriately limited local property tax levy increases at two per cent, or the rate of new construction, whatever is greater. With every ranking showing Wisconsin has some of the highest taxes in the country, the Assembly came through in providing real property tax relief. The Assembly-approved property tax freeze is identical to the freeze signed by Governor Doyle two years ago.
With local units of government and school boards facing impending budget deadlines, it was important that the Assembly took the bold initiative of stepping to the plate and approving critical portions of the state budget. The leadership the Assembly displayed could provide the much-needed impetus needed to finally formalize a state budget.
Because of the Assembly’s visionary moves, the state avoids hundreds of millions of dollars in property tax increases, local school districts and local units of government are now armed with the tools to adopt fiscally responsible budgets, and property taxpayers get much-needed relief.
Now it is up to the state Senate to follow the exemplary leadership the Assembly demonstrated. I look forward to going to the floor of the state Senate and take the necessary steps to fund schools and local governments and provide real relief for hard-working Wisconsin families.
