The first installment of City of Marshfield property taxes are due by the end of the day on Thursday, February 7. (The deadline is January 31st, but Wisconsin Statutes were changed a few years ago so that payments shall not be considered delinquent if made within 5 business days after that time, as a grace period. For this year, that date is Thursday, February 7th.)
Payments can be made by mail to 207 West 6th Street, or in-person at the same address anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
Since 2010, the property tax levy (the amount of taxes that a city can collect based on assessed property values) has gradually increased. This revenue is used to fund programs and services for the entire community.
The municipal tax authority sets a percentage rate for imposing taxes, called a levy rate, which is then calculated against the assessed value of each homeowner’s property according to its value.
Essentially, the City determines how much to raise taxes after figuring out how much revenue it will need in its budget to cover costs. That amount is calculated against the total value of all residential properties to determine the property tax levy percentage rate. Using that percentage rate and the assessed value of a home (estimated beforehand by an appraiser), the City determines what each property owes in property taxes.
City of Marshfield property taxes have remained low compared to neighboring communities, despite the increased cost of goods and services, and inflation – something City Administrator Steve Barg credits to the hard work of the Mayor, Council, and staff.
“The Mayor/Council/staff have worked together to produce prudent budgets,” said Barg, adding that it is hard to predict what the future holds for taxes. “The 2018 tax rate adopted on November 27, 2018 (for taxes payable in 2019) was a .65% tax rate increase, similar to recent years. Future years would be difficult to predict.”
Editor’s Note: Taxes are complicated! There are special conditions in some cases, laws that govern certain situations, etc… this piece is a general overview put in simple terms to help the average resident understand real estate taxes. Thanks for reading our #freetoread content!
