As part of the 2017-19 State Budget, the Wisconsin State Legislature repealed a portion of the personal property tax formerly collected by local governments and dispersed to cities, villages, counties and school districts. To account for this over $70 million loss in local tax revenue, the State Legislature also agreed to backfill the loss in the form of state aid.

New state law required the Department of Revenue (DOR) to collect tax levy information from local governments so the state would know what to distribute to cities, villages, school districts and counties. The DOR created a formula that it felt would approximate the former personal property tax levies. Unfortunately, the formula resulted in substantial misallocations of tax revenue for certain communities with tax incremental finance districts, which are special tax districts created by local governments to generate development.

Numerous municipalities throughout Wisconsin took issue with the DOR in late 2018 when estimates of aid under its formula were released. In October 2018, the City of Mosinee, represented by Attorney Jacobson, became the first community in Wisconsin to file suit against the DOR to compel it to follow the plain language of the statute and preclude it from using the formula of its own creation. This would require the DOR to collect actual tax levy information from local governments to ensure that state aid was sent to the right tax entities.

In June 2019, Judge Huber of Marathon County found that the DOR’s use of a formula was contrary to state law and declared that the City of Mosinee had been shorted nearly $50,000 in state aid. Finding that Mosinee’s case applied equally to all other communities in Wisconsin, Judge Huber went on to issue a statewide injunction prohibiting the DOR from using its formula anywhere in Wisconsin.

Attorney Jacobson was honored to represent the City of Mosinee in achieving a result that benefits all local governments throughout Wisconsin. The DOR chose not to appeal the decision and is in the process of taking steps to comply with the decision statewide.

Attorney Jeffery Raymond has joined the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County Board of Directors.  Jeff was a “big brother” as an undergrad, spending a few hours a week with his “little brother.”  Jeff has described this time as humbling and rewarding. Because of this experience, he is determined to fulfill the Boy & Girls Club’s motto which is, “To inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring community members.”

August 1, 2019 was a beautiful sunny summer day in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, but Attorneys Nadine Davy, Donna Ginzl and Jeffrey Raymond were inside the Stone Harbor Resort diligently learning about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma Informed Care (TIC).  This presentation was on day one of the three-day annual Door County Family Law Workshop.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, “Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity.  Working together, we can help create neighborhoods, communities, and a world in which every child can thrive.”

The “ACEs” presentation provided our attorneys with a lot of valuable information, tips and tools for assisting their adult clients who have experienced ACEs. As well as tools for how trauma informed care can help minimize the impact on their clients going through the family law process.  In addition, the presentation addressed strategies to help minimize the negative impact that adversarial litigation may have on our clients’ children.

Anderson O’Brien will be this year’s Gold Sponsor at the 13th Annual Walk for Hope event organized by the Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Coalition of Portage County.  Walk for Hope is a 5K walk that helps raise awareness and support for mental health initiatives in Portage County. Mental health issues affect our entire community, and as members of this community we want to help and we want to encourage others to join us.

For more information, please visit:
andlaw.com/walk-for-hope