First Look: Impact of Sucessful Madison and School Referenda

By now, you have probably learned that the City of Madison $22 million property tax referendum and the Madison Metropolitan School District operating and capital improvements referenda were all approved in the November 5 election. I've assembled a first look, hopefully an educated estimate at the likely impact on the tax levy millage rate and impact on the average home assessed value, comparing 2024 with 2025.

Please do not rely on the estimates. The millage rates for Dane County, City of Madison, and MMSD come from published sources, but the final budgets are yet to be approved. I did not find credible estimates for the Madison Area Technical College millage rates or the Wisconsin tax credits. I used the 2024 rates, and these will undoubtedly change. Nevertheless, it will give you some idea of the likely impact, and you can apply the millage rates to your latest assessed value.

Note that because of the continuing rapid rise in Madison assessed housing values, a millage rate can decline year-to-year, and the tax amount can still rise.

Image credit: Ald John Guequierre