It has been well established that the burden placed on the taxpayers in Menominee County (MC) is unprecedented in the State of Wisconsin. The astounding actions taken by the county board, school board and tribe represent significant issues that require the appropriate response.
In 2024, MC not only had the highest taxes in the State of Wisconsin, BUT it also had the highest taxes in the nation, ranked #1 out of 3,143 counties.
The Issues We’ve Identified:
- An Unprecedent Amount of Land in Menominee County (MC) is in Trust: MC consists of 230,000 acres where 99% of the land is in trust and less than 1% of the land is taxable. Yet this 1% of land covers nearly 100% of property tax costs
- There is very little Commercial Property Taxes paid in Menominee County: The MCTA purchased the tax rolls for MC and found the number of commercial properties that pay taxes is less than 1%.
- The County Board and the Tribe have an agreement in place that allows the tribe to AVOID PAYMENTS on taxable properties: The resulting tax burden for these properties has been covered by each resident taxpayer over the last 18 years.
- Special agreements between the County Board and Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (MITW) have been in place since 2006 that allow removal of properties from the tax rolls prior to moving them into US Trust. Per an analysis done by a Wisconsin law firm, the County is in violation of state statutes.
- Property are Taxed in Menominee County based on WHO owns the Property: The MCTA has documented tax records that demonstrate the non-tribal property taxpayers pay higher tax bills than tribal property taxpayers on similar sized lots.
- These result in an ever-increasing tax burden on an ever-decreasing tax base. Removal of taxable properties year after year will ultimately result in escalations so high as to make taxes unaffordable.
- Taxation without Representation: According to the 2020 Census Bureau, the demographics in MC favor the non-taxpaying to taxpaying voters by a margin of more than 3-to-1.
- This creates a voting majority that can elect officials that serve only the interests of the non-taxing tribal entities and tribal members. These elected officials can and have approved tax increases without consideration of financial impact on non-tribal members.
Actions Taken by MCTA and LLPOA to Address the Issues:
The MCTA has initiated a lawsuit in the district court with 11 claims against the county. These claims focus on the actions that the county board has taken that violate state statutes and unfairly increase the tax burden on every resident taxpayer, e.g., removing taxable properties from the tax rolls prior to moving these lots into trust.
The Legend Lake Property owners are also joining the fight after membership voted in mid-2024 to provide funding for additional legal actions against the county. A new lawsuit was filed in federal court at the end of October 2024 targets the underlying and systemic issues that enable the gradual and never-ending diminishment of the tax base in Menominee County.
Additional Actions Taken:
Our Efforts So Far:
- Research the impact of the sudden and unexpected tax reassessment in 2024. A meeting for all community members was held at the lodge to answer questions and discuss the impacts of the new 2024 Tax Reassessment.
- Annual MCTA accomplishments update letter sent to all membership which includes a renewal membership form (1 in 2023 and 1 in 2024)
- Annual golf outings to bring awareness to members of MCTA activities and raise money for the lawsuits (1 in 2023 and 1 in 2024)
- MCTA Facebook page setup to provide key and timely communications to MCTA members. For example, this page was instrumental in help with the write-in voting process to elect taxpaying members on the county board.
- Publication of MCTA events on the LLPOA website and in the LLPOA Smoke Signals Quarterly magazine.
What You Can Do:
- Come to MCTA meetings: Attend MCTA board meetings, hear updates in real time, and see how you can engage!
- Join the MCTA Board: We are always looking for members – particularly across the lakes this will affect – and welcome other Lake board member to join the MCTA.
- Donate: Fundraising is a constant and never-ending task since membership in the MCTA is strictly voluntary and it requires an extensive effort on the part of the MCTA’s volunteers to raise the funding needed to support its legal initiatives.