MADISON, Wis. — Two bills authored by Senator Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) to protect local taxpayers received a public hearing on Wednesday in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government.
Senate Bill 467 requires any wheel tax to be directly approved by local voters in a referendum held during a regularly scheduled election. The bill also applies retroactively, giving existing wheel taxes 18 months to earn voter approval or be repealed. Currently, wheel taxes do not require direct voter approval.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 53 municipalities and 14 counties currently impose a wheel tax. The number has grown rapidly. In 2011, only four Wisconsin communities imposed a wheel tax, but since 2020, at least 24 additional local governments have adopted one. In some areas, residents pay the tax twice—once to their municipality and again to their county. Wheel taxes added up to more than $70 million in costs for Wisconsin residents in 2025, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
“Every cost adds up, especially when you’re a family who lives paycheck-to-paycheck and struggles to afford groceries or a senior citizen who has to get by on a fixed income.” Hutton said.
“This bill simply requires local officials to make their case directly to the people and ensures taxpayers have the final say at the ballot box. This added accountability and transparency in tax decisions is particularly important for those least able to absorb new costs like these wheel taxes,” Hutton said.
Senate Bill 451 requires school districts to be in compliance with Department of Public Instruction financial reporting requirements before placing an operating or capital referendum on the ballot. This bill ensures that a district meets a minimum expectation of fiscal accountability before they ask taxpayers for more revenue.
The bill comes after Milwaukee Public Schools asked voters for a $252 million recurring referendum, only for the public to discover after it was narrowly approved that MPS was over eight months late in submitting their 2023 financial reports to the state. The delayed financial reports called attention to widespread fiscal mismanagement at MPS. Had the fiscal mess been known sooner, voters may have made a different decision.
“While MPS is a significant example, all districts should meet some basic standard of due diligence before raising taxes—just as taxpaying citizens must keep their own personal finances in order. This bill ensures there is an incentive for stronger fiscal stewardship so fewer districts follow the path of MPS,” Hutton said.
This bill adds transparency and empowers voters to make informed decisions about significant investments in their local schools,” Hutton said.
