Fighting to Force National Retailers to Pay Their Property Taxes

National Retailers are trying to wiggle out of their property tax obligations, and they've found a loophole that lets them do it.  It's called the dark-store loophole (or dark-store theory), and it allows them to shift their property tax burdens onto small business owners and local homeowners.

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities has calculated that this loophole, if fully implemented by all of the big box retailers in West Bend, could cost the average West Bend homeowner $253.89 per year in additional property taxes.

I first learned about the dark-store theory when City Alderman (and candidate to represent District 4 on the County Board) Chris Jenkins authored an advisory resolution on the city level to support efforts to end the dark-store loophole. 

After researching this issue, I realized how important it was to end this loophole.  I quickly worked to author a similar resolution on the County level.  When the resolution was scheduled to come up in front of the County Board, I asked West Bend City Assessor Jeff Yoder to speak to the impact this loophole would have on the City of West Bend.  With the support of chairman Gundrum, and County Board Supervisors including Tim Michalak and Denis Kelling, the resolution I authored easily passed the County Board.  For a copy of the resolution, click here: https://www.wicounties.org/uploads/r641617-advisory-res-property-tax-loopholes.pdf

Since then, I have worked with state legislators like Senator Duey Stroebel and Assemblyman Rick Gundrum (formerly our County Board chairman) to express the County's support for ending this tax loophole and protecting homeowners and small business owners.  While it looks like this issue did not get enough support yet at the state level, I am confident that it will during the next legislative session.  I will continue to work with our state legislators to help pass end the dark-store loophole.