I’ve got a good site for Antigo Daily Journal’s “Hidden Places”
crew to investigate. In fact, Editor Fred Berner should be really
hot to get the crew out there to dig around, since it’s in his very
neighborhood and should be, but isn’t, on the same tax roll that
extracts school tax money from him.
This “Hidden Place” is Elcho’s Sno-Devils snowmobile club
headquarters. And the reason it qualifies for “hidden place” is
that it has successfully hidden from tax assessment for about
29 years. Yup, the club owns property, like you do, but doesn’t
pay taxes on it, like you do.
When Fred sends his crew of crack investigative reports out on
this exploration, they’ll likely find that the Sno-Devils own a
$100,000 dedicated-purpose building and about $350,000 or so
worth of trail-grooming equipment and the like, all parked rent-free
on township land. That’s about a half-million in taxable property
that’s not being taxed because the assessor doesn’t want to do
his job, the town board doesn’t want to do its job, and the state
tax assessment authorities think that sending out an advisory
letter that’s ignored by its recipients is the only part of their job
that they’re really obligated to do. “No follow-up, please. We’re
Wisconsin governmental officials. Enforcement is just not our
thing.”
What’s the big deal? Not much. Maybe $5,000 or $6,000 a year.
The authorities could go back two years, plus the current year, for
payments, so that’s maybe $15,000 to $18,000… if they get
assessed. But, so far, it looks like they won’t get tagged. See
the previous paragraph, on governmental officials’ responsibilities
and obligations.
But what the heck, we can all just chip in to cover the Sno-Devils
shortfall, right? We’ve been doing it for 29 years or so, and might
as well keep on doing it. No sense getting a bunch of good ol’
boys and girls like the fun-loving Sno-Devils all riled up about
“Doing the Right Thing”, is there? After all, paying taxes is just
for people who don’t know how to get out of paying them, right?
====
What gives? I have taxable property, I pay taxes. Maybe this is one for the Langlade COunty District Attorney.
I agree with you Coosa- I think this is outrageous! Maybe some attention will be drawn to it now.
First of all the Sno Devils do not own any real estate, they in fact purchased some or all of the land they are using and donated it to the town. It is now rented from the Township of Elcho, everything is registered and legal. No one profits from the Sno Devils operations, they provide trails in Langlade County for the snowmobilers and the members are volunteers. Snowmobiling is one of the few sports that are self funded and use no one else’s tax dollars. Snowmobiling brings billions of dollars into the state of wisconsin every year. People traveling north buy gas, clothes, food, parts, snowmobiles, and stay at motels. There aren’t any motels up in Elcho, so I’m sure the Antigo people, benefit at least a little from the people on their way up north, or a lot from the people that stay at an Antigo motel. Yes they do own equipment that is necessary to groom the trails, and its taken 30 years of volunteers efforts to acquire that equipment. Ask the chamber of commerce or the local gas stations how much snowmobiling brings into Langlade County each year. But please get the facts, Sno Devils do not own any land and do legally rent it from the township. If you have a problem with that then I suggest you try donating some of your time to a good cause and don’t bash other organizations.
I didn’t say the Sno-Devils owned any real estate. I said they own “property”. I’m not talking about “real estate taxes” — I’m talking about “property taxes”. If I owned the property the Sno-Devils have, I would have to pay taxes on it. Other snowmobile clubs pay taxes on their property, so there is precedent. That’s how property tax assessment is supposed to work.
“Snowmobiling brings billions of dollars into the state of wisconsin every year. ” Really? BILLIONS of dollars? Wow. Could we please see your data?
The economic benefits of snowmobiling to the northwoods community is not the issue, and in fact has absolutely nothing to do with my posting. If you want to criticize my message, at least try to focus on the facts and issues I actually presented instead of making up your own points to criticize and trying to hang them on me.
As for “everything is registered and legal”, are you sure? No complaints, no notifications, no advisories from the state? Clean deal, completely within the law? Everything above-board? How much do you wanna bet?
I’m with you, Albus.
When buildings or personal property belonging to another party is located on exempt municipal property, the assessor needs to discover who owns the property and determine beneficial ownership. The actual control over the buildings, and their use determines that beneficial ownership. That means the Sno-Devils own the buildings, and that means they are taxable.
Wisconsin Statutes Section 70.109 states there is a presumption of taxability and the burden of proof is on the party requesting the exemption, which can only be granted if the statutes allow for it. That means real and personal property are taxable, including buildings and equipment owned by snowmobile clubs.
Wisconsin Statutes Section 70.11 lists all property exempted from taxation. Only the property listed is exempt. There is no specific exemption for any property owned by snowmobile clubs, and that means they are taxable.
Tombstone-Pickerel Club pays taxes on their land, buildings, and equipment. So do the Lily Sno-Birds. Why should the Sno-Devils be allowed to escape their responsibility? Why should everyone else be forced to pay more because the Sno-Devils don’t fess up?
I think three decades is long enough. They are taxable. They should pay. The fact that the Town board and their so-called “assessor” don’t have enough intestinal fortitude to live up to their statutory obligations is bad enough. Throw in the fact that we are actually forced to financially support the void created by their negligence makes it worse.
This isn’t about snowmobile clubs being good or bad. Its about State law, and the Town of Elcho, their assessor, and the Sno-Devils are in violation of it.
This line of reasoning is absolutely absurd!
1. If you don’t OWN the land, you don’t pay taxes on it. Period.
2. Equipment is NOT taxable in the state of WI.
End of story. To TAX them would be the violation of the law.
Ridiculous, gotta correct you here.
(1) No one said the Sno-Devils owned ANY land. Land ownership is NOT the issue.
(2) Equipment not taxable in Wisconsin? Better check with your tax attorney on this one before you duck out of paying. If the “equipment” is computerized medical equipment, it may be exempt from taxes. Trail grooming equipment, however, is in fact taxable property. As Coosa mentioned, “Tombstone-Pickerel Club pays taxes on their land, buildings, and equipment. So do the Lily Sno-Birds. Why should the Sno-Devils be allowed to escape their responsibility?”
Just because you’re not reading the facts, doesn’t mean the facts aren’t there. End of story? I don’t think so.
Equipment is taxed upon purchase, not on an annual basis as is real estate. Correct?
Where is the proof that the club owns anything that is taxable? If they purchased the land, donated it, and are paying rent to use it why should they be taxed? I don’t believe anyone has to pay taxes on buildings they are renting (usually paid by the landlord).
Albus, where can I find documentation of the facts you present? Specifically how much the Sno-Devils owe in taxes, what specific items are due tax money from them, and what do they own or rent?
I’ll bet the Town Chairman would have that information:
GARY D. JOHNSON, CHAIRMAN
W10915 ENTERPRISE LAKE ROAD
ELCHO, WI 54428
I’m not sure he would care to share the info, though….
Ridiculous, absurd? You missed the points.
The State of Wisconsin has two types of taxable property. They are real estate, and personal property. Generally speaking, property owners are most familiar with real estate assessment and taxation. Personal property refers to other tangible items not included in real estate assessments.
The Sno-Devils don’t own the land, and the land is not the issue. Their buildings, and equipment are. The buildings are located on municipal property, that municipal property(meaning the LAND) is exempt by statute because the Town owns it, the buildings are technically buildings on leased land, which are taxable, see WI. State Statutes Sec. 70.17(1) which states “Improvements(meaning buildings) on leased land(Sno-Devils’ buildings on Town property) may be assessed either as real property or personal proeprty.
And “2. Equipment is NOT taxable in the state of WI.” 100% WRONG!
Section 70.34, Stats., requires that “All articles of personal property shall be valued by the assessor at their true cash value.” The term “personal property” as defined in s.70.04, Stats., includes all goods, wares, merchandise, chattels, and effects, of any nature or description, having any real or marketable value, and not included in the the term “real property”.
Basically, general property in the State of Wisconsin is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Several years ago, legislation was introduced to add Snowmobile Trail Grooming Equipment to the Wisconsin Exemption Guide, but that legislation never passed. Your club’s equipment is, and has been, taxable. End of story. Not taxing them is a violation of State Law.
To ignorant people suck!:
There does exist an exemption for nonprofit organizations, and more specifically Snowmobile Trail Grooming Equipment, for sales and use tax only, Sec. 77.54(38). This is not to be confused with personal property assessment, the two items are not related.
Where is the proof that the club owns anything that is taxable?
They don’t even have to own it, just being ion charge if it makes it taxable.
Their buildings are located at the intersection of Riordan and Elk Streets in Elcho. Their main biulding is exclusively used by them, and they charge and receive rent for the use of the other structures there.
Ever ride on Sno-Devils’ trails? Pretty nice? They don’t get that way by themselves. Go to their annual meeting, they’re proud of what they own, see Fred’s post. They own at least 2 Tuckers(at about $90,000 each, new), tractors, grooms, tools, chainsaws, limb trimmers, etc…
Everything they own is taxable.
“I don’t believe anyone has to pay taxes on buildings they are renting”
It has decicated use, the Sno-Devils. The Town doesn’t even have a key to it, and if they did, it would still be taxable.
These are the issues:
The assessor has knowledge of taxable property(everything the Sno-Devils own, and/or are in charge of) and has refused to assess it. Most likely, somewhere between $350,000 and $450,000 worth of taxable property at the 2007 mill rate equates to between $4,500 and $5,900 in taxes, unpaid, again.
The Town has been made aware of it, and refuses to comply with their statutory obligation to correct it.
The WI. Department of Revenue has been aware of it, and contacted both the assessor, and the Town. No results, yet.
If anyone has questions, call the Dept. of Revenue, 715-842-5885, and ask them if this stuff is taxable.
Looks serious, to me. Since the Tombstone-Pickerel Club and the Lily Sno-Birds pay taxes on their land, buildings, and equipment, it would seem the rules are clear, and the Sno-Devils are bit behind the 8-ball here. And since Fred claims that snowmobiling brings “billions of dollars” to Wisconsin every year, there should be money available, somewhere, to pay a Fair Share (topic of this blog!). I understand the state can go back two years, plus the current year, to collect for arrears. Since they haven’t paid anything for 29 years or so, the Sno-Devils should be able to dip into their hoarded unpaid tax money and cough up a bit.
Agreed! And Correct!
There is no doubt their taxable, and liable – for the current year, and two years previous. The doubt is who will enforce the inevitable, and when?
Blatant and repeated violation of State law, isn’t that a civil offense? And wouldn’t that bring in the District Attorney?
Don’t know about the legal enforcement aspects, but a civil enforcement idea comes to mind. What if a bunch of ticked-off landowners who have Sno-Devil trails on their land were to close the gates, and prohibit use of their portions of the trail until the Sno-Devils paid their taxes? It would only take three or four, at this point in the season, to shut things down pretty good, especially if their land is like my narrow neck of property with a trunklink trail between two humungous and thickly wooded swamplands, the closure of which would cause the construction of miles of detour routes.
On one hand, snowmobilers like scenic routes and long travel times, so they might just love the idea of re-routing some snowmobile trail trunklines.
On the other hand, there might not BE any re-routing possible. Something to think about….
Something lake that would get their attention, I’d think. Private land owners like Albus are the reason there are trails to ride in the first place.
Considering that up to this point, not one entity has fulfilled their obligations here, that might be the only course of action.
Ideally, the assessor gets off his backside and puts them on the tax roll first. Then if they choose not to pay after they receive a tax bill, the municipality is ultimately responsible for the difference. That would mean that only property owners in the Town of Elcho would be paying for them, instead of everyone else in the County. But they need to get the bill. That’s the real problem. I think their assessor needs some phone calls. Here is his info: Kelly Zillmer, E6289 Knaack Rd., Marion, WI 54950 (715) 754-2861.
As a matter of fact, he also does the Town of Wolf River, which is where the Northwoods Boulder Lake Sno-Goers Club is based. Any bets on if they get a tax bill?
And he does the Town of Peck, it looks like the Deerbrook Bridgrunners are based there. Any takers, yet?
I’m not getting any answers yet on Town of Wolf River or Town of Peck status. You know, if those clubs don’t pay taxes, and that was a topic of discussion before the assessor’s contract was let out, and a bunch of the board members are also club members, that would be a very dicey situation. And if those clubs ARE paying taxes, and Sno-Devils aren’t, then the assessor actually knows what he’s supposed to, and isn’t doing it. That’s even dicey-er. I wonder if the Governor of Illinois has anything to do with this, since Illinois snowmobilers spend “billions of dollars” per year in the North Woods?
Yeah, but the Governor says to have faith, he’s done nothing wrong!
We know for a fact the Elcho assessor was informed about the Sno-Devils in early 2007, again in formal Dept. of Revenue mandatory training, and yet again by specific notification from the DOR. So now it’s 2 years he has intentionally omitted them.
The President of the Sno-Devils, Wally Perlberg, ph. 715-275-3322, was personally informed the Club was liable for taxes, and has done nothing to correct the situation. As was the Elcho Town Chairman, who also has done nothing.
So yes, everyone invloved has had plenty of information and opportunity, but nothing has happened. Or maybe something is happening, and someone’s getting a fat pocket because of it.
Just think if they make the individual board members from the Sno-Devils liable for current plus 2 years’ back taxes!! I wonder if they can do that?
Oh, and volunteers? The Sno-Devils has some, but they’ve also been paying wages to a number of people for years.
I stand corrected: http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_h8ssl
Looks like they skipped out of 36 years of taxes. Notice it shows an estimated annual sales of $230,000! And this is a few years old.
Let’s see, they just raffled off a snowmobile, there must be a fair amount of profit from that. Their annual street dance was usually good for about $10,000 to $15,000 net profit a year. Their annual calendar raffle is really a money-maker, and don’t forget the cash raffle at a $100 per ticket. Would paying their fair share of taxes be a back-breaking burden for them? I think not. Ah yes, capitalism, and those who take advantage of it.
Langlade County says there are no personal property accounts for either the Northwoods Boulder Lake Sno-Goers Club, or the Deerbrook Bridgrunners in their respective Towns. So, either their property is under a different name, or Mr. Zillmer has made a conscious decision to operate on his own agenda. Anyone with questions can call the County Tax Lister at 715-327-6207.
Sorry, typo, Langlade County Tax Lister is 715-627-6207.
Being aware of their appreciation for a story concerning dirty politics, I have been watching the national news for the headline “Political corruption leads to 572 arrests for tax evasion in Elcho, Wisconsin,” nothing, yet. Maybe they are just waiting to see how far-reaching the investigation will go and who will be the sacrificial lamb led to the alter. This might be the material needed for another Baba Wawa Special.
It seems to me that with all the people involved in this sham that the mathematical odds are that there would be one person, at least, with sufficient moral fiber to say, “’Nuff!”
I don’t own land that one of their trails comes through, but if I did, it wouldn’t. Donating the use of land is one thing, but paying additional taxes to support a tax evading club is not acceptable. I know that there are people in this county that do not belong to these clubs but do pay their assessed taxes, how can they be aware of this and still be silent?
A large part of the problem is there are not enough people that actually know about this. And the general public lacks the knowledge to know any better.
When a snowmobiler passes a Tucker grooming a trail, his first thought is “Cool, these trails are excellent, this is going to be a good ride!”. I would be surprised if it were “That rig is worth over $100,000, that’s a nice portion of someone’s tax roll!”
What do you think would happen if the club president stopped paying taxes on his house on Summit Lake? I’m sure that would get someone’s attention.
The sign on the District Attorney’s office door says something like, “We cannot give legal advice.” I figure it’s not really “legal advice” to ask just what’s supposed to happen in re: enforcement. I’ll stop in at the DA’s office and have a little chat. I hope Mr. Utley’s forgotten that I beat him in a round of golf about 6 or 7 years ago. Golfers bear grudges longer even than snowmobilers do.
That’s because golfers have more balls that snowmobilers do. Are the dimples on golfers balls hereditary?
The District Attorney’s office has now reviewed this blog discussion, and has passed the issue along to Corporate Counsel for their review and analysis. I think the DA’s office deals with criminal offenses, and the Corporate Counsel with civil and enforcement (implementation of court orders and the like) matters, so CC has to do its thing, first. The Wheels of Justice are grinding away….
My most fervent hope is that Mr. Ralph Uttke does not mind having his name misspelled every once in a while….
Well…turn they will. That means the DA’s office has received the information more than once! Now let’s see, will it be the assessor, the Elcho Town chair, the club(or clubs as it may be)?
Got my property tax bill today. It should have had a little Post-It note stuck to the bill saying, “Your tax bill would be smaller if only the Elcho Sno-Devils had paid their fair share.”
For the record, the Department of Revenue tells me there are a number of actions an assessor can have his certification revoked for:
Negligence, a big nod on this one
Illegal Activity, CC’s call
Fraud, he knew full well what he should have done
Deceit, see fraud
Incompetence, he missed everything on an “Expert Help” contract initially
Misconduct, see all of the above
Now, being guilty of any one of those, according to the DOR, is reason for revocation. I’m very interested to see what CC comes up with.
More FYI. The Department of Revenue has received a detailed anonymous complaint outlining this whole matter. They refuse to take action unless they have a name to pin it on. It certainly would not hurt to re-involve them, if for no other reason, just to see if they would do what’s right, according to the Statutes.
I wonder if coosa knew all this when he was president of Sno-Devils?
And the plot thickens… This is almost better than re-run of Murder She Wrote.
For “a snowmobiler”, no, I did not.
And I wasn’t really the president. I ran the meetings. Wally continued to act as the president from a different spot in the room.
It has really only become an issue recently. More specifically, when the Department of Revenue instructed all assessors statewide that snowmobile club grooming equipment is taxable. But Wally sure knows, as a matter of fact, he has known for years. Apparently, he has failed to inform the Sno-Devils board, and the membership.
And for the board, the letter from corporation counsel has incorrectly stated that I made a complaint. I did not. What I did do was ask them their position on this matter. Since Mr. Stowe chose to carbon everyone, it’s necessary to clarify some things here.
So, if anyone is actually interested, here are the facts.
1. The State of Wisconsin has two types of taxable property. They are real estate, and personal property. Generally speaking, property owners are most familiar with real estate assessment and taxation. Personal property refers to other tangible items not included in real estate assessments.
2. Chapter 70 of the Wisconsin State Statutes covers general property taxes. More specifically, Sec. 70.109 Presumption of taxability states that “the property in question is taxable, and the burden of proof is on the person who claims the exemption”.
Rest assured, I have researched the statutes in an attempt to find an exemption for snowmobile clubs. It does not exist.
3. There does exist an exemption for nonprofit organizations, and more specifically Snowmobile Trail Grooming Equipment, for sales and use tax ( Sec. 77.54(38)). This is not to be confused with personal property assessment, the two items are not related.
4. Basically, general property in the State of Wisconsin is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Several years ago, legislation was introduced to add Snowmobile Trail Grooming Equipment to the Wisconsin Exemption Guide, but that legislation never passed. Your club’s equipment is, and has been, taxable.
5. Feel free to discuss this issue with the Department of Revenue. The Wausau Office of Equalization can be reached at 715-842-5885. Al Romportl is the supervisor of equalization there, he’s the one to talk to.
6. The club’s equipment is taxable. The club’s buildings are taxable. The arrangement with the Town was an attempt to get around paying taxes, and it worked. Contrary to what Wally thinks, the town pays nothing on it.
7. I have not, and will not file a formal complaint with the State. That is what it takes to initiate corrective action.
8. I did take heat for including the Lily and Tombstone clubs on the assessment roll. My fault for following Sate law. That put me in the position of answering to the fact that the Sno-Devils don’t pay taxes for the same equipment.
9. I took a load of crap from Wally yesterday on this. He refuses to understand the facts. The club made out since its inception without paying taxes. Good for them. It wouldn’t hurt for them to be prepared for what seems to be the inevitable. The public is becoming more attuned to taxation issues, especially considering the state of the economy. The tolerance for publicly supporting a taxable entity that doesn’t pay their share seems to be getting short.
10. State law says this stuff is taxable. It’s not a judgment call. If anyone doesn’t like it, get the law changed.
11. What difference does it make to me? Let’s drop the kid gloves. I do my job in accordance with state law. The assessor in this instance refuses to do the same even though he is bound by the same state law. That obviously benefits the club, substantially. Again, good for them.
12. I’ll readily accept ramifications for my actions. And I did when Lily and Tombstone clubs went on the tax roll. Maybe the next time this comes up on the state lawmaker’s agenda, they’ll provide an exemption for it.
Anyone else?
While we’re waiting for the Wheels of Justice to turn, maybe the Sno-Devils could declare the club a religion, and maintain their tax-exempt status that way. They’d be in good company — about $22 billion worth of good company….
From a story by Barbara Miner in “Milwaukee Magazine” of Friday 11/17/2006 –
“Wisconsin now has approximately 16,000 exempt private properties, with a value of $21.7 billion, according to the state Department of Revenue. Were the Legislature to single out some owners as not deserving of exemptions, the others would likely rise to their defense, worrying that their exemption could be cut next.
“Interestingly, there is little data on this issue. There has been no study of nonprofit property tax exemptions by the Public Policy Forum, Wisconsin Policy Research Institute or Berry’s group (all three are tax-exempt organizations). Many in the general public don’t even know such exemptions exist.
“And yet these exemptions are a gift from the taxpaying public – and generally without their knowing it. Here’s one way to look at it: If a Milwaukee property valued at $2 million is exempt, the public, in essence, is providing a subsidy of $49,000 (what the property would pay in taxes). But because such subsidies never show up in the city budget, they never even become part of the budget debate.”
(end of quote)
Aside from all the religious-exempt property that I, a total non-believer, am supporting with my tax dollars, even as a non-rider I now also have to support snowmobile clubs whose officers had been notified some time ago that they were on the slippery side of the slope?
I’m seeing some inequity here, folks. Where’s all this Northwoods self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and pay-as-you-go independence I hear about during election seasons around here?
And can you imagine the amount of people complaining about their tax bills this time of the year? I can tell you from first hand experience, they are numerous.
Wisconsin has been in the top 5 states in the country for cost of ownership of real estate for years. This is one of the reasons why. If your organization is exempt, so be it. If it’s not, it should pay its bill – like the rest of us do. It really is that simple.
I’m not “picking on the club” as Wally put it. It doesn’t matter that it’s the Sno-Devils, or the neighbor down the road, or your favorite bar, or the construction company on the highway, or the doctor’s office. If it’s not exempt, it’s not exempt.
What I dont understqand is that you people have got Freddy involved in this. Fred is a morron, don’t know his hind end from his elbow, and thinks his sh it don’t stink. Besides, Freddy know every thing and claims they bring in billions in revenue. I wish he could prove that one!!
I think Fred kind involved himself, here. Maybe he gets a part of the billions of dollars that comes in every year from snowmobiling, and just wants to protect his turf. I haven’t heard back, yet, from the country legal minions, so I’ll give them a call and see what’s up.
Interested to find out what they’ve accomplished so far.
BTW, Jim Murphy, head of the Bureau of Assessment Practices, DOR, ph. 608-261-5275. He’s in charge of these kinds of issues.
Alternate ph. 608-266-1332, Jennie Miller, also with Bureau of Assessment Practices.
According to an article in the Antigo Daily Journal, Feb 11 2009:
“The Elcho school will be the beneficiary this year of joint scholarship effort between the Sno-Devils Snowmodbile Club and the Parrish Highlanders ATC Club. The two organizations are joining together to offer $2,000 in vocational educational scholarships to seniors at Elcho this year. A club spokesman staid the effort, announced after discussions Thursday, are part of the joint effort by the two gorups to support local programs.”
Like, how about supporting your local tax collection program by paying taxes owed on personal property? I saw a letter from the State of Wisconsin Department of Revenue to Elcho’s assessor Kelly Zillmer and the chairman of the Town of Elcho Gary Johnson, among others, advising them that, “Snowmobiles are exempt from property taxes under Wisconsin Statutes Section 70.112(5). This exemption does not extend to snowmobile grooming or other snowmobile related equipment.”
Now, just what part of that statement escapes the understanding of Mr. Zillmer and Mr. Johnson? It takes more than a scholarship contribution to balance the tab, here.
It’s a nice gesture. That amount of money could give 4 students the chance to take 1 class each. Such as: Accounting Principles for $407, and Engine Performance for $586, and Small Business Management for $306, and Carpentry for $618 – according to current Nicolet course fee schedules.
Mr. Johnson was contacted in 2007 and asked for his opinion on the advantages of having a snowmobile club in his Town. He did not respond.
So, for an organization with estimated annual sales of $230,000 (see: http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_h8ssl ), that equates to 4/10 of one percent of their annual income.
There must have been a club meeting recently. I had the opportunity to speak with an involved member last night. According to what he said, the club’s tax bill would amount to about $2 per member. Outrageous you say? Get over it, I say.
What was interesting about the conversation was the person I was talking with sounded just like Wally, but it wasn’t him. He had no intention on “discussing” anything. He wanted to be heard. I heard him. It’s unfortunate that a little bit of bad information goes such a long way.
So for anyone else, who may actually be interested, let’s get back to the facts.
Fact: I did not file a complaint. The letter of response from the DA’s office is inaccurate. Those of you with a copy should note after the first paragraph, the balance refers to the initial correspondence as an “inquiry”, which is all it was. And also note that the DA’s office acknowledged no jurisdiction over the matter, which means they’ve done nothing.
Fact: All property in the State of Wisconsin is taxable, unless specifically exempt by statute. Straight forward enough, one would think. Like, your house. It’s taxable, if you want to keep it, you pay taxes. Nobody likes it, but it’s necessary.
Fact: Wally has known for years that the club’s property is taxable. If he hasn’t prepared the club for that, that would be a reflection on leadership.
As long as we’re at it, let’s debunk a few claims I’ve heard more than once.
“The Sno-Devils are being picked on.” False. All snowmobile grooming equipment is taxable, not just the stuff the Sno-Devils own. Get over it.
“No other club in the State pays property taxes.” False. Let’s stay in the county and name just a couple that do: Lily Sno-Birds, Tombstone-Pickerel. There are well over 200 clubs in the State, it would be naive to think no other clubs pay taxes.
“The school (Elcho) is going to suffer from this.” False. The school is suffering now from this, and everyone else in the district, too. State aids and appropriations are all based on equalized value. Withholding value from the assessment roll is detrimental to those calculations for the funding we need for our kids’ education. Something that can’t be made up by donating a tech school course. As a matter of fact, the amount of stimulus money the school will be receiving is less because the Sno-Devils are not being included in the assessment roll. Thanks again.
If anyone needs more information, read the above posts, or the State Statutes, or call the DOR, or check their web site. Maybe the Sno-Devils should invite a DOR representative to a meeting if they need further explanation.
So, for anyone else, if you’d like to discuss this, like adults, let’s do that.
Final word from State of Wisconsin Department of Revenue Division of State and Local Finance in a letter dated December 8, 2009 is: “Based on our investigation we conclude that the personal property and buildings on leased land owned by the Elcho Sno-Devils is taxable. We have informed the assessor or our determination and taken certification related actions as appropriate. We have also verified that the equipment and property in question is on the tax roll for 2009. It is our understanding that there is also an omitted property assessment for the personal property and buildings on leased land for 2008…. This case is hereby closed.”
Well, this case is closed. But now I’m wondering about the tax-exempt status of property and buildings owned by churches. Doesn’t seem fair that my tax money subsidizes the activities of churches that I may not want to support….
Looks like we have a reversal here. Jim Holperin managed to get Gov. Doyle to sign the Sno-Devil Law into the books, reversing the Dept. of Revnue’s notice to all clubs in the state that they really should be paying property tax on their equipment. Grooming equipment is now tax-free! Good news for the Sno-Devils. I’m sure they’re out riding around today, just to celebrate.
What about those other clubs who have been following the law and paying property tax on their groomers? Get ‘em a rebate, Jim! No sense quitting when your on a roll. By the way, Jim, you might want to check to see just how many of those grateful snowmobile club members voted for you in the last election, and will do it again in the next one. Whoopsie…..
Legally exempt now, that’s fantastic!!
Let’s see….who could we possibly thank for getting that ball rolling?
Maybe now the whining can stop.
Yeah, pretty cool, hey? do the crime, then get off Scot free with some legislative retroaction. Your Wisconsin State Legislature is here to service you!
Maybe we can get in on the same type of plan. If we can get someone like the AWSC to lobby for us, make a claim about how beneficial we are to the State, and promise to pay 1/2 of what we’re responsible for – once out of every 37 years, wouldn’t that be great !?
Just think, a tax-free ride through life sponsored by every other member of the community. Now that’s an accomplishment.
Dorian says, “Just think, a tax-free ride through life sponsored by every other member of the community. Now that’s an accomplishment.”
Sounds more like an elected office….