60.85(4)(am)1.1. A representative chosen by a school district under
par. (a) 1. or
2. shall be the president of the school board, or his or her designee. If the school board president appoints a designee, he or she shall give preference to the school district's finance director or another person with knowledge of local government finances.
60.85(4)(am)2.
2. The representative chosen by the county under
par. (a) 1. shall be the county executive or, if the county does not have a county executive, the chairperson of the county board, or the executive's or chairperson's designee. If the county executive or county board chairperson appoints a designee, he or she shall give preference to the county treasurer or another person with knowledge of local government finances.
60.85(4)(am)3.
3. The representative chosen by the town under
par. (a) 1. shall be the town board chairperson, or his or her designee. If the town board chairperson appoints a designee, he or she shall give preference to the person in charge of administering the town's economic development programs, the town treasurer, or another person with knowledge of local government finances.
60.85(4)(am)4.
4. The representative chosen by the technical college district under
par. (a) 1. shall be the district's director or his or her designee. If the technical college district's director appoints a designee, he or she shall give preference to the district's chief financial officer or another person with knowledge of local government finances.
60.85(4)(b)1.1. The joint review board shall review the public record, planning documents and the resolution passed by the town board or planning commission under
sub. (3) (h) or
(j) 1. As part of its deliberations the joint review board may hold additional hearings on the proposal.
60.85(4)(b)2.
2. No tax incremental district may be created and no project plan may be amended unless the joint review board approves the resolution adopted under
sub. (3) (h) or
(j) 1. by a majority vote not less than 10 days nor more than 30 days after receiving the resolution.
60.85(4)(b)3.
3. The joint review board shall submit its decision to the town no later than 7 days after the board acts on and reviews the items in
subd. 2.
60.85(4)(c)1.1. The joint review board shall base its decision to approve or deny a proposal on the following criteria:
60.85(4)(c)1.a.
a. Whether the project costs to be expended in the tax incremental district comply with the limitations specified in
sub. (2) (b).
60.85(4)(c)1.b.
b. Whether the development expected in the tax incremental district would occur without the use of tax incremental financing.
60.85(4)(c)1.c.
c. Whether the economic benefits of the tax incremental district, as measured by increased employment, business and personal income, and property value, are insufficient to compensate for the cost of the improvements.
60.85(4)(c)1.d.
d. Whether the benefits of the proposal outweigh the anticipated tax increments to be paid by the owners of property in the overlying taxing districts.
60.85(4)(c)2.
2. The joint review board shall issue either a written statement that, in its judgment, all of the criteria under
subd. 1. have been met or a written explanation describing why any proposal it rejects fails to meet one or more of the criteria specified in
subd. 1.
60.85(5)
(5) Determination of tax increment and tax incremental base. 60.85(5)(a)(a) Subject to
sub. (10) (d), upon the creation of a tax incremental district or upon adoption of any amendment subject to
par. (d) 1., its tax incremental base shall be determined as soon as reasonably possible. The department of revenue may impose a fee of $1,000 on a town to determine or redetermine the tax incremental base of a tax incremental district under this subsection.
60.85(5)(b)
(b) Upon application in writing by the town clerk, in a form prescribed by the department of revenue, the department shall determine according to its best judgment from all sources available to it the full aggregate value of the taxable property and, except as provided in
par. (c), of the town-owned property in the tax incremental district. Subject to
sub. (10) (d), the department shall certify this aggregate valuation to the town clerk, and the aggregate valuation constitutes the tax incremental base of the tax incremental district. The town clerk shall complete these forms upon the creation of a tax incremental district or upon the amendment of a district's project plan and shall submit the application on or before December 31 of the year the tax incremental district is created, as defined in
sub. (3) (h) 2. or, in the case of an amendment, on or before December 31 of the year in which the changes to the project plan take effect.
60.85(5)(c)
(c) The value of real property owned by a town and used for police and fire buildings, administrative buildings, libraries, community and recreational buildings, parks, streets and improvements within any street right-of-way, parking facilities and utilities shall not be included in the tax incremental base established under
par. (b) or
(d) 1.
60.85(5)(d)1.1. If the town adopts an amendment to the original project plan under
sub. (3) (j) for any district which includes additional project costs at least part of which will be incurred after the period specified in
sub. (6) (b) 1., the tax incremental base for the district shall be redetermined by adding to the tax incremental base the value of the taxable property, and, except as provided in
par. (c), of the town-owned property, that is added to the existing district as of the January 1 of the same calendar year for a resolution adopted before October 1 or as of January 1 of the next subsequent calendar year for a resolution adopted after September 30. The tax incremental base as redetermined under this subdivision is effective for the purposes of this section only if it exceeds the original tax incremental base determined under
par. (b).
60.85(5)(d)2.
2. If after January 1 a city or village annexes town territory that contains part of a tax incremental district that is created by the town, the department of revenue shall redetermine the tax incremental base of the district by subtracting from the tax incremental base the value of the taxable property that is annexed from the existing district as of the following January 1, and if the annexation becomes effective on January 1 of any year, the redetermination shall be made as of that date. The tax incremental base as redetermined under this subdivision is effective for the purposes of this section only if it less than the original tax incremental base determined under
par. (b).
60.85(5)(e)
(e) Annually, no later than May 15, the town clerk shall file with the department of revenue, on a form provided by the department, a list of the expenditures for the district that were made in the previous year.
60.85(5)(f)
(f) The town clerk shall annually, after May 1 but before May 21, by written notice, inform the department of revenue of any amendment to the project plan which has been adopted. The town clerk shall also give written notice of the adoption of an amendment to the department of revenue within 60 days after its adoption. The department of revenue may prescribe forms to be used by the town clerk when giving notice as required by this paragraph.
60.85(5)(g)
(g) The department of revenue may not certify the tax incremental base as provided in
par. (b) until it determines that each of the procedures and documents required by
sub. (3) (a),
(b),
(h) or
(j) and
par. (b) has been timely completed and all notices required under
sub. (3) (a),
(b),
(h) or
(j) timely given. The facts supporting any document adopted or action taken to comply with
sub. (3) (a),
(b),
(h) or
(j) are not subject to review by the department of revenue under this paragraph, except that the department may not certify the tax incremental base as provided in
par. (b) until it reviews and approves the findings made under
sub. (3) (h) 4. and
5. d.
60.85(5)(h)
(h) The town assessor shall identify upon the assessment roll returned and examined under
s. 70.45 those parcels of property which are within each existing tax incremental district, specifying the name of each district. A similar notation shall appear on the tax roll made by the town clerk under
s. 70.65.
60.85(5)(i)
(i) The department of revenue shall annually give notice to the designated finance officer of all governmental entities having the power to levy taxes on property within each district as to the equalized value of the property and the equalized value of the tax increment base. The notice shall also explain that the tax increment allocated to a town shall be paid to the town as provided under
sub. (6) (c) from the taxes collected.
60.85(6)
(6) Allocation of positive tax increments. 60.85(6)(a)(a) If the joint review board approves the creation of the tax incremental district under
sub. (4), positive tax increments with respect to a tax incremental district are allocated to the town which created the district for each year commencing after the date when a project plan is adopted under
sub. (3) (g). The department of revenue may not authorize allocation of tax increments until it determines from timely evidence submitted by the town that each of the procedures and documents required under
sub. (3) (d) to
(f) has been completed and all related notices given in a timely manner. The department of revenue may authorize allocation of tax increments for any tax incremental district only if the town clerk and assessor annually submit to the department all required information on or before the 2nd Monday in June. The facts supporting any document adopted or action taken to comply with
sub. (3) (d) to
(f) are not subject to review by the department of revenue under this paragraph except as provided under
par. (e). After the allocation of tax increments is authorized, the department of revenue shall annually authorize allocation of the tax increment to the town that created the district until the sooner of the following events:
60.85(6)(a)1.
1. The department of revenue receives a notice under
sub. (10) and the notice has taken effect under
sub. (10) (b).
60.85(6)(a)2.
2. Sixteen years after the tax incremental district is created.
60.85(6)(b)1.1. No expenditure may be made for a tax incremental district that is created under this section later than 5 years after the tax incremental district is created.
60.85(6)(b)2.
2. The limitations on the period during which expenditures may be made under
subd. 1. do not apply to expenditures to pay project costs incurred under
ch. 32.
60.85(6)(b)3.
3. The limitations on the period during which expenditures may be made under
subd. 1. do not apply to expenditures authorized by the adoption of an amendment to the project plan under
sub. (3) (j), except that in no case may the total number of years during which expenditures are made exceed 7 years.
60.85(6)(c)
(c) 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 town treasurer out of all the taxes which the officer has collected the proportion of the tax increment due the town that the general property taxes collected in the town bears to the total general property taxes levied by the town for all purposes included in the tax roll, exclusive of levies for state trust fund loans, state taxes and state special charges.
60.85(6)(d)
(d) All tax increments received with respect to a tax incremental district shall, upon receipt by the town treasurer, be deposited into a special fund for that district. The town treasurer may deposit additional moneys into such fund pursuant to an appropriation by the town board. No moneys may be paid out of such fund except to pay project costs with respect to that district, to reimburse the town for such payments, or to satisfy claims of holders of bonds or notes issued with respect to such district. 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. (9). Subject to any agreement with bondholders, moneys in the fund may be temporarily invested in the same manner as other town 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, 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 town 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 town and that portion, if any, that represents voluntary deposits of the town into the fund.
60.85(6)(e)1.1. Any of the following persons may file a written request with the department of revenue requesting a review of a tax incremental district created under this section to determine whether money expended, or debt incurred, by the district in the prior year complied with the requirement under
sub. (2) (b):
60.85(6)(e)1.a.
a. An owner of taxable property that is located in the town that has created the district.
60.85(6)(e)1.b.
b. An owner of taxable property that is located in a taxing jurisdiction which overlies the town in which the district is located.
60.85(6)(e)1.c.
c. An owner of taxable property in a city or village that borders the town in which the district is located.
60.85(6)(e)1.d.
d. A taxing jurisdiction that overlies the town in which the district is located.
60.85(6)(e)1.e.
e. A city or village that borders the town in which the district is located.
60.85(6)(e)2.
2. A written request described under
subd. 1. shall be on a form that is prescribed by the department of revenue, shall contain the grounds on which the request is based, and shall be filed with the department no later than July 1.
60.85(6)(e)3.
3. The department of revenue may deny any request for review that is made under this paragraph if the department believes, based on a review of the request, that insufficient grounds exist to support the alleged noncompliance with
sub. (2) (b). The department shall send written notification of its decision to the person who made the request for review and to the town.
60.85(6)(e)4.
4. If the department of revenue grants a request for review that is made under this paragraph, it shall hold a hearing and it shall send written notification of the hearing to the clerk of the town that created the tax incremental district, the person who requested the review, the clerk of each overlying taxing jurisdiction, and the clerk of every city or village that borders the town. The written notification shall include the time, date, and location of the hearing.
60.85(6)(e)5.
5. The secretary of revenue, or the secretary's designee, shall preside at the hearing and shall receive testimony and evidence on all issues that are related to the request for review. Following the hearing, the secretary shall make one of the following determinations:
60.85(6)(e)5.b.
b. The town has made expenditures or incurred debts that are not allowed under
sub. (2) (b). If the secretary makes this determination, the secretary shall either order the town to pay back all ineligible costs to the district's overlying taxing jurisdictions, on a proportional basis that relates to each jurisdiction's share of the tax increment, from funds other than tax increments allocated under this subsection, or shall order the district to be terminated. If the secretary orders the district to be terminated, the town becomes liable for all unpaid project costs actually incurred which are not paid from the special fund under
sub. (6) (d).
60.85(6)(e)6.
6. Any person or unit of government that received a notice under
subd. 4. may appeal the secretary's decision to the circuit court in Dane County.
60.85(7)
(7) Notification of position openings. 60.85(7)(a)(a) Any person who operates for profit and is paid project costs under
sub. (1) (h) 1. a.,
d.,
i., and
j. 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 town that 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.
60.85(7)(b)
(b) Any person who operates for profit and buys or leases property in a tax incremental district from a town for which the town incurs real property assembly costs under
sub. (1) (h) 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 town 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.
60.85(8)(a)(a) The town 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 town 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.
60.85(8)(b)
(b) Audits shall be conducted at all the following times:
60.85(8)(b)1.
1. No later than twelve months after 30 percent of the project expenditures are made.
60.85(8)(b)3.
3. No later than twelve months after the termination of the tax incremental district under
sub. (9).
60.85(8)(c)
(c) The town 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 town shall send a copy of the report to each overlying district by May 1 annually.
60.85(9)
(9) Termination of tax incremental districts. A tax incremental district terminates when the earliest of the following occurs:
60.85(9)(a)
(a) That time when the town has received aggregate tax increments with respect to the district in an amount equal to the aggregate of all project costs under the project plan and any amendments to the project plan for the district.
60.85(9)(b)
(b) Eleven years after the last expenditure identified in the original, unamended project plan is made.
60.85(9)(c)
(c) The town board, by resolution, dissolves the district, at which time the town becomes liable for all unpaid project costs actually incurred which are not paid from the special fund under
sub. (6) (d).
60.85(9)(d)
(d) The secretary of revenue determines that tax increments have been used to pay for ineligible costs and the secretary of revenue orders that the district be terminated under
sub. (6) (e) 5. b.
60.85(10)
(10) Notice of district termination. 60.85(10)(a)(a) A town which creates a tax incremental district under this section shall give the department of revenue written notice within 10 days of the termination of the tax incremental district under
sub. (9).
60.85(10)(b)
(b) If the department of revenue receives a notice under
par. (a) during the period from January 1 to May 15, the effective date of the notice is the date the notice is received. If the notice is received during the period from May 16 to December 31, the effective date of the notice is the first January 1 after the department of revenue receives the notice.
60.85(10)(c)
(c) Not later than February 15 of the year immediately following the year in which a town transmits to the department of revenue the notice required under
par. (a), the town shall send to the department, on a form prescribed by the department, all of the following information that relates to the terminated tax incremental district:
60.85(10)(c)1.
1. A final accounting of all expenditures made by the town.
60.85(10)(c)2.
2. The total amount of project costs incurred by the town.
60.85(10)(c)3.
3. The total amount of positive tax increments received by the town.
60.85(10)(d)
(d) If a town does not send to the department of revenue the form specified in
par. (c), the department may not certify the tax incremental base of a tax incremental district in the town under
sub. (5) (a) and
(b) until the form is sent to the department.
60.85(11)
(11) Financing of project costs. Payment of project costs may be made by any one or more of the following methods:
60.85(11)(a)
(a) Payment by the town from the special fund of the tax incremental district.
60.85(11)(c)
(c) Payment out of the proceeds of the sale of bonds or notes issued by it under
ch. 67.
60.85(11)(d)
(d) Payment out of the proceeds of the sale of public improvement bonds issued by it under
s. 66.0619.
60.85(11)(f)
(f) Payment out of the proceeds of revenue bonds or notes issued by it under
s. 66.0621.
60.85(11)(g)
(g) Payment out of the proceeds of revenue bonds issued by the town as provided by
s. 66.1103, for a purpose specified in that section.
60.85(12)
(12) Overlapping tax incremental districts. 60.85(12)(a)(a) Subject to any agreement with bondholders, a tax incremental district may be created, the boundaries of which overlap one or more existing districts, except that districts created as of the same date may not have overlapping boundaries.
60.85(12)(b)
(b) If the boundaries of 2 or more tax incremental districts overlap, in determining how positive tax increments generated by that area which is within 2 or more districts are allocated among the overlapping districts, but for no other purpose, the aggregate value of the taxable property in the area as equalized by the department of revenue in any year as to each earlier created district is that portion of the tax incremental base of the district next created which is attributable to the overlapped area.
60.85(13)
(13) Equalized valuation for apportionment of property taxes. With respect to the county, school districts and any other local governmental body having the power to levy taxes on property located within a tax incremental district, if the allocation of positive tax increments has been authorized by the department of revenue under
sub. (6) (a), the calculation of the equalized valuation of taxable property in a tax incremental district for the apportionment of property taxes may not exceed the tax incremental base of the district until the district is terminated.
60.85(14)
(14) Department of commerce report. The department of commerce, in cooperation with other state agencies and local governments, shall make a comprehensive report to the governor and the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the legislature under
s. 13.172 (2), at the beginning of each biennium, beginning with the 2007 biennium, as to the effects and impact of town tax incremental financing projects socially, economically, and financially.
60.85(16)
(16) Use of tax incremental financing for inland lake protection and rehabilitation prohibited. Notwithstanding
sub. (11), no tax incremental financing project plan may be approved and no payment of project costs may be made for an inland lake protection and rehabilitation district or a county acting under
s. 59.70 (8).
60.85(17)
(17) Payment of eligible costs for annexed territory, redetermination of tax incremental base. If a city or village annexes territory from a town and if all or part of the territory that is annexed is part of a tax incremental district created by the town, the city or village shall pay to the town that portion of the eligible costs that are attributable to the annexed territory. The city or village, and the town, shall negotiate an agreement on the amount that must be paid under this subsection. The department shall redetermine the tax incremental base of any parcel of real property for which the tax incremental base was determined under
sub. (5) if part of that parcel is annexed under this subsection.
