Chapter 66

66.1105(6)(a)15. 15. Thirty years after the tax incremental district is created if the district is Tax Incremental District Number 4 in the village of Caledonia.

66.1105(6)(a)16. 16. Thirty-seven years after the tax incremental district is created if the district is Tax Incremental District Number 3 in the village of Lake Delton.

66.1105(6)(a)17. 17. Thirty-seven years after the tax incremental district is created if the district is Tax Incremental District Number 4 in the village of Lake Delton.

66.1105(6)(a)18. 18. Twenty-five years after the tax incremental district is created if the district is Tax Incremental District Number 2 in the village of Kronenwetter.

66.1105(6)(a)19. 19. Thirty-three years after the tax incremental district is created if the district is Tax Incremental District Number 1 in the village of Marathon City.

66.1105(6)(a)20. 20. December 31, 2036, if the district is Tax Incremental District Number 3 in the city of Wisconsin Dells and notwithstanding sub. (4e) (e) 1., 3., and 6. and (g).

66.1105(6)(a)21. 21. Thirty-two years after the tax incremental district is created if the district is Tax Incremental District Number 4 in the city of Antigo.

66.1105(6)(ae) (ae) With regard to each district for which the department of revenue authorizes the allocation of a tax increment under par. (a), the department shall charge the city that created the district an annual administrative fee of $150 that the city shall pay to the department no later than April 15. If the city does not pay the fee that is required under this paragraph, by April 15, the department may not authorize the allocation of a tax increment under par. (a) for that city.

66.1105(6)(ag) (ag) With regard to a multijurisdictional tax incremental district, the department of revenue may allocate positive tax increments to each participating city only to the extent that a city’s component of the district has generated a positive value increment.

66.1105(6)(am) (am)

66.1105(6)(am)1. 1. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, no expenditure may be made later than 5 years before the unextended termination date of a tax incremental district under sub. (7) (ak) or (am).

66.1105(6)(am)2. 2. The limitations on the period during which expenditures may be made under subd. 1. do not apply to:

66.1105(6)(am)2.a. a. Expenditures to pay project costs incurred under ch. 32.

66.1105(6)(am)2.b. b. Expenditures authorized by the adoption of an amendment to the project plan under sub. (5) (c) or (ce).

66.1105(6)(am)2.em. em. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 3 in the city of Middleton. Such expenditures may be made no later than 32 years after the district is created and may be made through 2025.

66.1105(6)(am)2.fm. fm. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 3 in the city of Wausau. Such expenditures may be made no later than 32 years after the district is created and may be made through 2026.

66.1105(6)(am)2.g. g. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 1 in the village of Wales. Such expenditures may be made no later than 32 years after the district is created and may be made through 2038.

66.1105(6)(am)2.h. h. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 1 in the village of Weston. Such expenditures may be made no later than 28 years after the district is created and may be made through 2026.

66.1105(6)(am)2.i. i. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 1 in the village of Caledonia. Such expenditures may be made no later than 32 years after the district is created and may be made through 2039.

66.1105(6)(am)2.j. j. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 4 in the village of Caledonia. Such expenditures may be made no later than 25 years after the district is created and may be made through 2039.

66.1105(6)(am)2.k. k. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 3 in the village of Lake Delton. Such expenditures may be made no later than 32 years after the district is created and may be made through 2037.

66.1105(6)(am)2.L. L. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 4 in the village of Lake Delton. Such expenditures may be made no later than 32 years after the district is created and may be made through 2039.

66.1105(6)(am)2.m. m. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 2 in the village of Kronenwetter. Such expenditures may be made no later than 20 years after the district is created and may be made through 2024.

66.1105(6)(am)2.n. n. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 1 in the village of Marathon City. Such expenditures may be made through January 3, 2023.

66.1105(6)(am)2.o. o. Expenditures for project costs for Tax Incremental District Number 3 in the city of Wisconsin Dells, notwithstanding sub. (4e) (e) 1., 3., and 6. and (g). Such expenditures may be made through 2031.

66.1105(6)(am)3. 3. For tax incremental districts for which the resolution under sub. (4) (gm) is adopted on or after July 31, 1981, no expenditure may be made before the date the project plan is approved, except for costs directly related to planning the tax incremental district. In this subdivision “expenditure” means the exchange of money for the delivery of goods or services.

66.1105(6)(am)5. 5. No expenditure may be made later than 5 years before the termination date of a tax incremental district to which par. (d) applies.

66.1105(6)(b) (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, every officer charged by law to collect and pay over or retain local general property taxes shall, on the settlement dates provided by law, pay over to the city treasurer out of all the taxes which the officer has collected the proportion of the tax increment due the city that the general property taxes collected in the city bears to the total general property taxes levied by the city for all purposes included in the tax roll, exclusive of levies for state trust fund loans, state taxes and state special charges.

66.1105(6)(c) (c) Except for tax increments allocated under par. (d), (dm), (e), (f), or (g), or erroneous reporting of value increments as described in par. (h), all tax increments received with respect to a tax incremental district shall, upon receipt by the city treasurer, be deposited into a special fund for that district. The city treasurer may deposit additional moneys into such fund pursuant to an appropriation by the common council. No moneys may be paid out of such fund except to pay project costs with respect to that district, to reimburse the city for such payments, to pay project costs of a district under par. (d), (dm), (e), (f), or (g), to pay property tax reimbursements as described under par. (h), or to satisfy claims of holders of bonds or notes issued with respect to such district. Subject to par. (d), (dm), (e), (f), or (g), moneys paid out of the fund to pay project costs with respect to a district may be paid out before or after the district is terminated under sub. (7). Subject to any agreement with bondholders, moneys in the fund may be temporarily invested in the same manner as other city funds if any investment earnings are applied to reduce project costs. After all project costs and all bonds and notes with respect to the district have been paid or the payment thereof provided for, subject to any agreement with bondholders, if there remain in the fund any moneys that are not allocated under par. (d), (dm), (e), (f), or (g), they shall be paid over to the treasurer of each county, school district or other tax levying municipality or to the general fund of the city in the amounts that belong to each respectively, having due regard for that portion of the moneys, if any, that represents tax increments not allocated to the city and that portion, if any, that represents voluntary deposits of the city into the fund.

66.1105(6)(d) (d)

66.1105(6)(d)1. 1. Subject to subd. 1m., after the date on which a tax incremental district pays off the aggregate of all of its project costs under its project plan, but not later than the date on which a tax incremental district terminates under sub. (7) (am), a planning commission may amend under sub. (4) (h) 1. the project plan of such a tax incremental district to allocate positive tax increments generated by that tax incremental district to another tax incremental district created by that planning commission in which soil affected by environmental pollution exists to the extent that development has not been able to proceed according to the project plan because of the environmental pollution.

66.1105(6)(d)1m. 1m. After December 31, 2016, subd. 1. applies only to Tax Incremental District Number Four and Tax Incremental District Number Five in the City of Kenosha, and no increments may be allocated under that subdivision, after December 31, 2016, unless the allocation is approved by the joint review board.

66.1105(6)(d)2. 2. Except as provided in subd. 2m., no tax increments may be allocated under this paragraph later than 16 years after the last expenditure identified in the project plan of the tax incremental district, the positive tax increments of which are to be allocated, is made.

66.1105(6)(d)2m. 2m. No tax increments may be allocated under this paragraph later than 35 years after the last expenditure identified in the project plan of the tax incremental district, the positive tax increments of which are to be allocated, is made if the district is created before October 1, 1995, except that in no case may the total number of years during which expenditures are made under par. (am) 1. plus the total number of years during which tax increments are allocated under this paragraph exceed 42 years.

66.1105(6)(d)3. 3. This paragraph applies only in a city with a population of at least 80,000 that was incorporated in 1850 and that is in a county with a population of less than 175,000 which is adjacent to one of the Great Lakes.

66.1105(6)(d)4. 4. This paragraph does not apply after August 1, 2031.

66.1105(6)(d)5. 5. This paragraph does not apply to a tax incremental district that is created after January 1, 2004.

66.1105(6)(e) (e)

66.1105(6)(e)1. 1. Before the date on which a tax incremental district terminates under sub. (7) (a), but not later than the date on which a tax incremental district terminates under sub. (7) (am), a planning commission may amend under sub. (4) (h) the project plan of the tax incremental district to allocate positive tax increments generated by that tax incremental district to another tax incremental district created by that planning commission if all of the following conditions are met:

66.1105(6)(e)1.a. a. The donor tax incremental district, the positive tax increments of which are to be allocated, and the recipient tax incremental district have the same overlying taxing jurisdictions.

66.1105(6)(e)1.b. b. The donor tax incremental district and the recipient tax incremental district have been created before October 1, 1995.

66.1105(6)(e)1.d. d. The donor tax incremental district is able to demonstrate, based on the positive tax increments that are currently generated, that it has sufficient revenues to pay for all project costs that have been incurred under the project plan for that district and sufficient surplus revenues to pay for some of the eligible costs of the recipient tax incremental district.

66.1105(6)(e)1.f. f. Notwithstanding subd. 1. b. and subject to subd. 1. a. and d., the planning commission of the village of Biron may amend, under sub. (4) (h), the project plan of Tax Incremental District Number 2 in the village to allocate positive tax increments generated by that district to Tax Incremental District Number 3 in the village.

66.1105(6)(e)3. 3. A project plan that is amended under sub. (4) (h) to authorize the allocation of positive tax increments under subd. 1. may authorize the allocation for a period not to exceed 5 years, except that if the planning commission determines that the allocation may be needed for a period longer than 5 years, the planning commission may authorize the allocation for up to an additional 5 years if the project plan is amended under sub. (4) (h) during the 4th year of the allocation. In no case may positive tax increments under subd. 1. be allocated from one donor tax incremental district for a period longer than 10 years.

66.1105(6)(f) (f)

66.1105(6)(f)1. 1. Not later than the date on which a tax incremental district terminates under sub. (7) (am), a planning commission may amend under sub. (4) (h) the project plan of a tax incremental district to allocate positive tax increments generated by that tax incremental district to another tax incremental district created by that planning commission or to an environmental remediation tax incremental district created under s. 66.1106 by the same governing body if all of the following conditions are met:

66.1105(6)(f)1.a. a. The donor tax incremental district, the positive tax increments of which are to be allocated, and the recipient tax incremental district have the same overlying taxing jurisdictions.

66.1105(6)(f)1.b. b. The allocation of tax increments under this paragraph is approved by the joint review board.

66.1105(6)(f)2. 2. An allocation of tax increments under this paragraph may be used by the recipient district only if one of the following applies:

66.1105(6)(f)2.a. a. The project costs in the recipient district are used to create, provide, or rehabilitate low-cost housing or to remediate environmental contamination.

66.1105(6)(f)2.b. b. The recipient district was created upon a finding that not less than 50 percent, by area, of the real property within the district is blighted or in need of rehabilitation.

66.1105(6)(f)2.c. c. The recipient district is a mixed-use or industrial-use district that has been designated as a distressed, or severely distressed, district under sub. (4e).

66.1105(6)(f)2.d. d. The recipient district is an environmental remediation tax incremental district created under s. 66.1106.

66.1105(6)(f)3. 3. The allocation of positive tax increments from a donor district to one or more recipient districts cannot be made unless the donor district has first satisfied all of its current-year debt service and project cost obligations.

66.1105(6)(f)4. 4. No city may request or receive under sub. (7) (am) 2. an extension for the life of a donor tax incremental district.

66.1105(6)(g) (g)

66.1105(6)(g)1. 1. After the date on which a tax incremental district created by a city pays off the aggregate of all of its project costs, and notwithstanding the time at which such a district would otherwise be required to terminate under sub. (7), a city may extend the life of the district for one year if the city does all of the following:

66.1105(6)(g)1.a. a. The city adopts a resolution extending the life of the district for a specified number of months. The resolution shall specify how the city intends to improve its housing stock, as required in subd. 3.

66.1105(6)(g)1.b. b. The city forwards a copy of the resolution to the department of revenue, notifying the department that it must continue to authorize the allocation of tax increments to the district under par. (a).

66.1105(6)(g)2. 2. If the department of revenue receives a notice described under subd. 1. b., it shall continue authorizing the allocation of tax increments to the district under par. (a) during the district’s life, as extended by the city, as if the district’s costs had not been paid off and without regard to whether any of the time periods specified in par. (a) 2. to 8. would otherwise require terminating the allocation of such increments.

66.1105(6)(g)3. 3. If a city receives tax increments as described in subd. 2., the city shall use at least 75 percent of the increments received to benefit affordable housing in the city. The remaining portion of the increments shall be used by the city to improve the city’s housing stock.

66.1105(6)(g)4. 4. This paragraph does not apply to Tax Incremental District Number 10 in the city of Evansville.

66.1105(6)(g)5. 5. This paragraph does not apply to Tax Incremental District Number 14 in the city of Stevens Point.

66.1105 Note NOTE: Subd. 5. was created as subd. 4. by 2023 Wis. Act 136 and renumbered to subd. 5. by the legislative reference bureau under s. 13.92 (1) (bm) 2.

66.1105(6)(g)6. 6. This paragraph does not apply to Tax Incremental District Number 4 in the city of Antigo.

66.1105 Note NOTE: Subd. 6. was created as subd. 4. by 2023 Wis. Act 137 and renumbered to subd. 6. by the legislative reference bureau under s. 13.92 (1) (bm) 2.

66.1105(6)(h) (h) For property values reported to the department of revenue in 2018, if a city erroneously reports a higher value increment for its tax incremental districts in an aggregate amount of at least $50,000,000, that city’s tax incremental districts may transfer the excess tax increments collected resulting from this error directly to the city’s general fund for the sole purpose of reimbursing taxpayers for the resulting erroneously higher property tax rates imposed on the taxpayers. A city that acts under this paragraph shall verify with the department of revenue the amounts being transferred and disbursed before those transactions may take place.

66.1105(6c) (6c) Notification of position openings.

66.1105(6c)(a) (a) Any person who operates for profit and is paid project costs under sub. (2) (f) 1. a., d., j. and k. in connection with the project plan for a tax incremental district shall notify the department of workforce development and the local workforce development board established under 29 USC 2832, of any positions to be filled in the county in which the city which created the tax incremental district is located during the period commencing with the date the person first performs work on the project and ending one year after receipt of its final payment of project costs. The person shall provide this notice at least 2 weeks prior to advertising the position.

66.1105(6c)(b) (b) Any person who operates for profit and buys or leases property in a tax incremental district from a city for which the city incurs real property assembly costs under sub. (2) (f) 1. c. shall notify the department of workforce development and the local workforce development board established under 29 USC 2832, of any position to be filled in the county in which the city creating the tax incremental district is located within one year after the sale or commencement of the lease. The person shall provide this notice at least 2 weeks prior to advertising the position.

66.1105(6m) (6m) Review.

66.1105(6m)(a) (a) The city shall cause a certified public accountant to conduct audits of each tax incremental district to determine if all financial transactions are made in a legal and proper manner and to determine if the tax incremental district is complying with its project plan and with this section. Any city that creates a tax incremental district under this section and has an annual general audit may include the audits required under this subsection as part of the annual general audit.

66.1105(6m)(b) (b) Audits shall be conducted no later than:

66.1105(6m)(b)1. 1. Twelve months after 30 percent of the project expenditures are made;

66.1105(6m)(b)2. 2. Twelve months after the end of the expenditure period specified in sub. (6) (am) 1.; and

66.1105(6m)(b)3. 3. Twelve months after the termination of the tax incremental district under sub. (7).

66.1105(6m)(c) (c) The city shall prepare and make available to the public updated annual reports describing the status of each existing tax incremental district, including expenditures and revenues. The city shall file a copy of the report with each overlying district and the department of revenue by July 1 annually. The copy of the report filed with the department of revenue shall be in electronic format. The annual report shall contain at least all of the following information:

66.1105(6m)(c)1. 1. The name assigned to the district under sub. (4) (gm) 3.

66.1105(6m)(c)2. 2. The declared classification of the tax incremental district under sub. (4) (gm) 6. and the scope of the project.

66.1105(6m)(c)3. 3. The name of any developer who is named in a developer’s agreement with the city or who receives any financial assistance from tax increments allocated for the tax incremental district.

66.1105(6m)(c)4. 4. The date that the city expects the tax incremental district to terminate under sub. (7).

66.1105(6m)(c)5. 5. The amount of tax increments to be deposited into a special fund for that district under sub. (6) (c).

66.1105(6m)(c)6. 6. An analysis of the special fund under sub. (6) (c) for the district. The analysis shall include all of the following:

66.1105(6m)(c)6.a. a. The balance in the special fund at the beginning of the fiscal year.

66.1105(6m)(c)6.b. b. All amounts deposited in the special fund by source, including all amounts received from another tax incremental district.

66.1105(6m)(c)6.c. c. An itemized list of all expenditures from the special fund by category of permissible project costs.

66.1105(6m)(c)6.d. d. The balance in the special fund at the end of the fiscal year, including a breakdown of the balance by source and a breakdown of the balance identifying any portion of the balance that is required, pledged, earmarked, or otherwise designated for payment of, or securing of, obligations and anticipated project costs. Any portion of the ending balance that has not been previously identified and is not identified in the current analysis as being required, pledged, earmarked, or otherwise designated for payment of, or securing of, obligations or anticipated project costs shall be designated as surplus.

66.1105(6m)(c)7. 7. The contact information of a person designated by the city to respond to questions or concerns regarding the annual report.

66.1105(6m)(c)8. 8. The value of new construction in the tax incremental district and the value of improvements removed from the tax incremental district.