Chapter 79

79.04(2)(a) (a) Annually, except for production plants that begin operation after December 31, 2003, or begin operation as a repowered production plant after December 31, 2003, and except as provided in sub. (4m), the department of administration, upon certification by the department of revenue, shall distribute from the public utility account to any county having within its boundaries a production plant, general structure, or substation, used by a light, heat or power company assessed under s. 76.28 (2) or 76.29 (2), except property described in s. 66.0813 unless the production plant or substation is owned or operated by a local governmental unit that is located outside of the municipality in which the production plant or substation is located, or by an electric cooperative assessed under ss. 76.07 and 76.48, respectively, or by a municipal electric company under s. 66.0825 an amount determined by multiplying by 6 mills in the case of property in a town and by 3 mills in the case of property in a city or village the first $125,000,000 of the amount shown in the account, plus leased property, of each public utility except qualified wholesale electric companies, as defined in s. 76.28 (1) (gm), on December 31 of the preceding year for “production plant, exclusive of land,” “general structures,” and “substations,” in the case of light, heat and power companies, electric cooperatives or municipal electric companies, for all property within the municipality in accordance with the system of accounts established by the public service commission or rural electrification administration, less depreciation thereon as determined by the department of revenue and less the value of treatment plant and pollution abatement equipment, as defined under s. 70.11 (21), as determined by the department of revenue plus an amount from the public utility account determined by multiplying by 6 mills in the case of property in a town, and 3 mills in the case of property in a city or village, of the total original cost of production plant, general structures, and substations less depreciation, land and approved waste treatment facilities of each qualified wholesale electric company, as defined in s. 76.28 (1) (gm), as reported to the department of revenue of all property within the municipality. The total of amounts, as depreciated, from the accounts of all public utilities for the same production plant is also limited to not more than $125,000,000. The amount distributable to a county under this subsection and sub. (6) in any year shall not exceed $100 times the population of the county, except that, beginning with payments in 2009, the amount distributable to a county under this subsection and sub. (6) in any year shall not exceed $125 times the population of the county.

79.04(2)(am) (am)

79.04(2)(am)1. 1. Beginning with the distribution under this subsection in 1991, and ending with the distribution under this subsection in 2008, the amount determined under par. (a) to value property used by a light, heat or power company in a county may not be less than the amount determined to value the property for the distribution to the county under this subsection in 1990, subject to subds. 2. and 3.

79.04(2)(am)2. 2. When a light, heat or power company no longer uses property described under par. (a) as production plant, substation, or general structure in a county, the amount established under subd. 1. shall be reduced by the proportion that the property that is no longer used bears to the total value of all property described in par. (a) in the county. The proportion shall be determined according to the proportional value of the property when the light, heat or power company stops using the property.

79.04(2)(am)3. 3. The amount of a distribution under this paragraph, as affected by subd. 1., may not exceed the per capita amount established under par. (a).

79.04(2)(b) (b) The payment under par. (a) for any county in which a production plant is located, which the public service commission certifies to the department of revenue will produce a nominal rated capacity of 200 megawatts or more, shall be not less than $75,000 annually, except that the amount distributable to a county in any year shall not exceed the per capita limit specified in par. (a).

79.04(3m) (3m) For purposes of determining the amount of the payments under subs. (1) and (2), the payments for a municipality and county in which an ash disposal facility that is owned and operated by an electric cooperative is operating prior to July 30, 2003, shall be calculated to include an amount that is equal to the net book value of the ash disposal facility multiplied by 2.

79.04(4) (4) 

79.04(4)(a) (a) Annually, in addition to the amounts distributed under subs. (1), (5), (6), and (7), the department of administration shall distribute $50,000 to a municipality if spent nuclear fuel is stored within the municipality on December 31 of the preceding year. If a spent nuclear fuel storage facility is located within one mile of a municipality, that municipality shall receive $10,000 annually and the municipality where that storage facility is located shall receive $40,000 annually.

79.04(4)(b) (b) Annually, in addition to the amounts distributed under subs. (2), (5), (6), and (7), the department of administration shall distribute $50,000 to a county if spent nuclear fuel is stored within the county on December 31 of the preceding year. If a spent nuclear fuel storage facility is located at a production plant located in more than one county, the payment shall be apportioned according to the formula under sub. (1) (c) 2., except that the formula, as it applies to municipalities in that subdivision, applies to counties in this paragraph. The payment under this paragraph may not be less than $10,000 annually.

79.04(4m) (4m) 

79.04(4m)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), beginning with distributions in 2009, for production plants described under subs. (1) and (2), if in any year the payments to the municipality and county in which the production plant is located would be greater under subs. (6) and (7) (c) 1. based on the production plant’s name-plate capacity than under sub. (1) or (2) based on the depreciated net book value of the production plant, the municipality and county shall receive payments under subs. (6) and (7) (c) 1., rather than under sub. (1) or (2), beginning in that year and in each year thereafter.

79.04(4m)(b) (b) For municipalities where production plants are located, if the combination of amounts determined for production plants under sub. (1) or under subs. (6) and (7) (c) 1. and the amounts determined for substations and general structures under sub. (1) are less for a municipality than the amount determined under sub. (1) based on the value of the property used to calculate the municipality’s payment in 1990, reduced to reflect the value of property that is no longer in use, the municipality’s payment shall be calculated under sub. (1) using the value of the property used to calculate the municipality’s payment in 1990, reduced to reflect the value of property no longer in use.

79.04(5) (5) 

79.04(5)(a) (a) If property that was exempt from the property tax under s. 70.112 (4) and that was used to generate power by a light, heat, or power company, except property under s. 66.0813, unless the production plant is owned or operated by a local governmental unit located outside of the municipality, or by an electric cooperative, or by a municipal electric company under s. 66.0825, is decommissioned, the municipality shall be paid, from the public utility account, an amount equal to the following percentages of the payment that the municipality received under this section during the last year that the property was exempt from the property tax:

79.04(5)(a)1. 1. In the first year that the property is taxable, 100 percent.

79.04(5)(a)2. 2. In the 2nd year that the property is taxable, 80 percent.

79.04(5)(a)3. 3. In the 3rd year that the property is taxable, 60 percent.

79.04(5)(a)4. 4. In the 4th year that the property is taxable, 40 percent.

79.04(5)(a)5. 5. In the 5th year that the property is taxable, 20 percent.

79.04(5)(b) (b) If property that was exempt from the property tax under s. 70.112 (4) and that was used to generate power by a light, heat, or power company, except property under s. 66.0813, unless the production plant is owned or operated by a local governmental unit located outside of the municipality, or by an electric cooperative, or by a municipal electric company under s. 66.0825, is decommissioned, the county shall be paid, from the public utility account, an amount equal to the following percentages of the payment the county received under this section during the last year that the property was exempt from the property tax:

79.04(5)(b)1. 1. In the first year that the property is taxable, 100 percent.

79.04(5)(b)2. 2. In the 2nd year that the property is taxable, 80 percent.

79.04(5)(b)3. 3. In the 3rd year that the property is taxable, 60 percent.

79.04(5)(b)4. 4. In the 4th year that the property is taxable, 40 percent.

79.04(5)(b)5. 5. In the 5th year that the property is taxable, 20 percent.

79.04(6) (6) 

79.04(6)(a) (a) Annually, beginning in 2005, for production plants that begin operation after December 31, 2003, or begin operation as a repowered production plant after December 31, 2003, except as provided in sub. (4m), the department of administration, upon certification by the department of revenue, shall distribute payments from the public utility account, as determined under par. (b), to each municipality and county in which a production plant is located, if the production plant has a name-plate capacity of at least one megawatt and is used by a light, heat, or power company assessed under s. 76.28 (2) or 76.29 (2), except property described in s. 66.0813, unless the production plant is owned or operated by a local governmental unit located outside of the municipality; by a qualified wholesale electric company, as defined in s. 76.28 (1) (gm); by a wholesale merchant plant, as defined in s. 196.491 (1) (w); by an electric cooperative assessed under ss. 76.07 and 76.48, respectively; or by a municipal electric company under s. 66.0825.

79.04(6)(b) (b) Subject to pars. (c) and (d), each municipality entitled to a payment under par. (a) and each county in which such a municipality is located shall receive a payment equal to a portion of an amount that is equal to the number of megawatts that represents the production plant’s name-plate capacity, multiplied by $2,000.

79.04(6)(c) (c)

79.04(6)(c)1. 1. If the production plant is located in a city or village, the city or village receives a payment equal to two-thirds of the amount determined under par. (b) and the county in which the city or village is located receives a payment equal to one-third of the amount determined under par. (b). If the production plant is located in a town, the town receives a payment equal to one-third of the amount determined under par. (b), and the county in which the town is located receives a payment equal to two-thirds of the amount determined under par. (b). If a municipality is located in more than one county, the county in which the production plant is located shall receive the county portion of the payment.

79.04(6)(c)2. 2. For the purpose of determining the amount of the payment under par. (b), if a production plant is located in more than one municipality, the payment amount under par. (b) shall be divided among the municipalities in which the plant is located based on the net book value of that portion of the plant located in each municipality as of December 31, 2004, or as of the date on which the plant is operational, whichever is later.

79.04(6)(c)3. 3. For the purpose of determining the amount of the payment under par. (b), if a production plant is located in more than one county, the payment amount under par. (b) shall be divided among the counties in which the plant is located based on the net book value of that portion of the plant located in each county as of December 31, 2004, or as of the date on which the plant is operational, whichever is later.

79.04(6)(d) (d) The total amount distributable to a municipality under this subsection and sub. (1) in any fiscal year shall not exceed an amount equal to the municipality’s population multiplied by $300, and the total amount distributable to a county under this subsection and sub. (2) in any year shall not exceed an amount equal to the county’s population multiplied by $100.

79.04(7) (7) 

79.04(7)(a) (a) Beginning with payments in 2005, if a production plant, as described in sub. (6) (a), other than a nuclear-powered production plant, is built on the site of, or on a site adjacent to, an existing or decommissioned production plant; or is built on a site purchased by a public utility before January 1, 1980, that was identified in an advance plan as a proposed site for a production plant; or is built on, or on a site adjacent to, brownfields, as defined in s. 238.13 (1) (a) or s. 560.13 (1) (a), 2009 stats., after December 31, 2003, and has a name-plate capacity of at least one megawatt, each municipality and county in which such a production plant is located shall receive annually from the public utility account a payment in an amount that is equal to the number of megawatts that represents the production plant’s name-plate capacity, multiplied by $600. Beginning with payments in 2024, the multiplier is $900.

79.04(7)(b) (b) Beginning with payments in 2005, if a production plant, as described in sub. (6) (a), that is a baseload electric generating facility is built after December 31, 2003, and has a name-plate capacity of at least 50 megawatts, each municipality and county in which such a production plant is located shall receive annually from the public utility account a payment in an amount that is equal to the number of megawatts that represents the production plant’s name-plate capacity, multiplied by $600.

79.04(7)(c) (c)

79.04(7)(c)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., beginning with payments in 2005, if a production plant, as described in sub. (6) (a), that derives energy from an alternative energy resource is built after December 31, 2003, and has a name-plate capacity of at least one megawatt, each municipality and county in which such a production plant is located shall receive annually from the public utility account a payment in an amount that is equal to the number of megawatts that represents the production plant’s name-plate capacity, multiplied by $1,000. Beginning with payments in 2024, the multiplier is $1,500.

79.04(7)(c)1m. 1m. Beginning with payments in 2005, if a cogeneration production plant, as described in sub. (6) (a), is built and completed after December 31, 2003, and has a name-plate capacity of at least one megawatt, each municipality and county in which such a cogeneration production plant is located shall receive annually from the public utility account a payment in an amount that is equal to the number of megawatts that represents the cogeneration production plant’s name-plate capacity, multiplied by $1,000. Any municipality or county that receives a payment under this subdivision in any year may not receive a payment under subd. 1. in that year, if the payment under subd. 1. is based on the same production plant as the payment under this subdivision.

79.04(7)(c)2. 2. If a production plant as described under subd. 1. fires an alternative energy resource together with a fuel other than an alternative energy resource, the number of megawatts used to calculate the payment under subd. 1. is the number of megawatts that represents the production plant’s name-plate capacity multiplied by a percentage that represents the energy content of the alternative energy resource in the year prior to the year in which the payment is made as compared to the total energy content of the alternative energy resource and the other fuel in the year prior to the year in which the payment is made.

79.04(7)(d) (d) For the purpose of determining the amount of any payment under this subsection, if a production plant is located in more than one municipality or county, the payment amount shall be divided among the municipalities or counties in which the plant is located based on the net book value of that portion of the plant located in each municipality or county as of December 31, 2004, or as of the date on which the plant is operational, whichever is later.

79.04(8) (8) All of the following apply to the payments for property of a production plant that includes multiple power generation units, except that this subsection applies only if the production plant’s first power generation unit permanently ceases generating electricity after March 23, 2024:

79.04(8)(a) (a) No payment received by a municipality or county under sub. (1), (2), (6), or (7) shall be reduced on the basis that one or more, but not all, of the power generation units permanently cease generating electricity, and the amount of the payment shall be the amount that the municipality or county received in the year before the year in which the first power generation unit permanently ceased generating electricity.

79.04(8)(b) (b) The payments under sub. (5) (a) or (b) shall not be made until the production plant is decommissioned, and then the payments shall be determined on the basis of the amount of the payment received by the municipality or county under sub. (1), (2), (6), or (7) in the year before the year in which the first power generation unit permanently ceased generating electricity.

79.04 History History: 1971 c. 125, 215; 1973 c. 90 ss. 387, 391g; 1973 c. 243 s. 82; 1975 c. 39, 224; 1977 c. 29, 418; 1979 c. 34; 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 29, 39; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 16, 307; 1995 a. 27; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2001 a. 16; 2001 a. 30 s. 108; 2003 a. 31, 33, 89, 320; 2005 a. 253, 254; 2007 a. 19, 20, 226; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32; 2015 a. 61; 2017 a. 59; 2023 a. 19, 139.

79.05 79.05 Expenditure restraint incentive program.

79.05(1) (1) In this section:

79.05(1)(a) (a) “Full value” means the value determined under s. 70.57 including the value of tax increments under s. 66.1105.

79.05(1)(am) (am) “Inflation factor” means a percentage equal to the average annual percentage change in the U.S. consumer price index for all urban consumers, U.S. city average, as determined by the U.S. department of labor, for the 12 months ending on August 31 of the year before the statement under s. 79.015, except that the percentage under this paragraph shall not be less than zero.

79.05(1)(b) (b) “Municipal budget” means the municipality’s general fund.

79.05(1)(c) (c) “Property tax levy rate” means the amount determined as follows:

79.05(1)(c)1. 1. Subtract the tax increment under s. 66.1105 from the total property tax levy.

79.05(1)(c)2. 2. Subtract the tax incremental value under s. 66.1105 from the full value.

79.05(1)(c)3. 3. Divide the amount under subd. 1. by the amount under subd. 2.

79.05(1)(d) (d) “Valuation factor” means a percentage equal to 60 percent of the percentage change in the municipality’s equalized value due to new construction less improvements removed between the year before the statement under s. 79.015 and the previous year, but not less than zero nor greater than 2.

79.05(2) (2) A municipality is eligible for a payment under sub. (3) if it fulfills all of the following requirements:

79.05(2)(a) (a) Its property tax levy rate established during the year before the statement under s. 79.015 is greater than 5 mills.

79.05(2)(c) (c) Its municipal budget; exclusive of principal and interest on long-term debt and exclusive of revenue sharing payments under s. 66.0305, payments of premiums under s. 66.0137 (5) (c) 1. and 1m., revenues generated from a tax imposed under s. 77.701, payments received under s. 79.038, expenditures of payments due to the termination of a tax incremental district under s. 79.096 (3), recycling fee payments under s. 289.645, expenditures of grant payments under s. 16.297 (1m), unreimbursed expenses related to an emergency declared under s. 323.10, expenditures from moneys received pursuant to P.L. 111-5, grants received from the state or federal government for the purpose of providing law enforcement, fire protection, or emergency medical services, and expenditures made pursuant to a purchasing agreement with a school district whereby the municipality makes purchases on behalf of the school district; for the year of the statement under s. 79.015 increased over its municipal budget as adjusted under sub. (6); exclusive of principal and interest on long-term debt and exclusive of revenue sharing payments under s. 66.0305, payments of premiums under s. 66.0137 (5) (c) 1. and 1m., revenues generated from a tax imposed under s. 77.701, payments received under s. 79.038, expenditures of payments due to the termination of a tax incremental district under s. 79.096 (3), recycling fee payments under s. 289.645, expenditures of grant payments under s. 16.297 (1m), unreimbursed expenses related to an emergency declared under s. 323.10, expenditures from moneys received pursuant to P.L. 111-5, grants received from the state or federal government for the purpose of providing law enforcement, fire protection, or emergency medical services, and expenditures made pursuant to a purchasing agreement with a school district whereby the municipality makes purchases on behalf of the school district; for the year before that year by less than the sum of the inflation factor and the valuation factor, rounded to the nearest 0.10 percent.

79.05(2m) (2m) Annually, on October 1, the department of revenue shall certify the appropriate percentage change in the consumer price index that is to be used in the requirement under sub. (1) (am) to the joint committee on finance.

79.05(3) (3) Each municipality that qualifies under sub. (2) shall receive a payment calculated as follows:

79.05(3)(a) (a) Subtract 5 mills from the municipality’s property tax levy rate.

79.05(3)(b) (b) Multiply the amount under par. (a) by the municipality’s full value.

79.05(3)(c) (c) Divide the amount under par. (b) by the total of the amounts under par. (b) for all municipalities that qualify.

79.05(3)(d) (d) Multiply the amount under par. (c) by the amount for the year under s. 79.01 (1), 2021 stats.

79.05(4) (4) Notwithstanding subs. (2) and (3), in 2025, each municipality shall receive a payment under this section that is equal to the amount of the payment received by the municipality under this section in 2024.

79.05(5) (5) No municipality may, for the purpose of qualifying for a payment under this section, establish a fund, other than a general fund, that does not conform to generally accepted accounting principles promulgated by the governmental accounting standards board or its successor bodies.

79.05(6) (6) 

79.05(6)(a) (a) If a municipality transfers to another governmental unit responsibility for providing any service that the municipality provided in the preceding year, its budget for the preceding year shall be decreased to reflect the cost that the municipality incurred to provide that service, as determined by the department of revenue.

79.05(6)(b) (b) If a municipality increases the services that it provides by adding responsibility for providing a service transferred to it from another governmental unit in any year, its budget for the preceding year shall be increased to reflect the cost of that service, as determined by the department of revenue.

79.05(6)(c) (c) If a municipality receives payments from another governmental unit for providing a service to that other governmental unit, pursuant to a contract with the municipality, the municipality receiving the payments shall not include the amounts of the payments nor the costs for providing the service in its budget for the year in which it receives the payments, for the purpose of determining eligibility under sub. (2) (c).

79.05(7) (7) 

79.05(7)(a) (a) Beginning with the distributions in 2018 and ending with the distributions in 2022, the annual payment under this section to the village of Maine shall be the amount otherwise determined for the village under this section, plus $583,000.

79.05(7)(b) (b) Beginning with the distributions in 2018 and ending with the distributions in 2022, the annual payment under this section to the city of Janesville shall be the amount otherwise determined for the city under this section, plus $583,000.

79.05 History History: 1989 a. 336; 1991 a. 39, 61; 1993 a. 16; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2001 a. 16; 2009 a. 11, 28; 2011 a. 32, 106, 258; 2013 a. 20, 165; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 58, 59; 2019 a. 19; 2021 a. 1, 61; 2023 a. 12, 19.

79.05 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. Tax 19, Wis. adm. code.

79.08 79.08 Corrections. If the department of administration or the department of revenue determines by August 15 of the year following any distribution under this subchapter that there was an overpayment or underpayment made in any certification by the department of revenue or resulting from populations changed as a result of a final court determination or a census determination under s. 16.96 (2) (dm) or (e) or in the distribution by the department of administration, the overpayment or underpayment shall be corrected as provided in this section. No corrections to the elements of any distribution may be made after August 15 of the year following the distribution. Any overpayment shall be corrected by reducing the subsequent year’s distribution under this subchapter. Any underpayment shall be corrected by increasing the subsequent year’s distribution under this subchapter. Corrections shall be made in the distributions to all municipalities and counties affected by the error. Corrections shall be without interest.

79.08 History History: 1973 c. 158, 333; 1977 c. 29; 1979 c. 34; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 31, 336; 1991 a. 39.

79.09 79.09 Administration. Counties and municipalities shall submit the information required under this subchapter by the department of revenue on forms prescribed by the department. Annually, each county and municipality may contract with a certified public accountant licensed under ch. 442 to compile and submit to the department the information required.

79.09 History History: 1975 c. 39; 1985 a. 29.

79.095 79.095 State aid; computers.

79.095(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

79.095(1)(a) (a) “Department” means the department of revenue.

79.095(1)(b) (b) “Gross tax rate” means the property tax rate without consideration of the credits under subch. II.

79.095(1)(bh) (bh) “Inflation factor” means a percentage equal to the average annual percentage change in the U.S. consumer price index for all urban consumers, U.S. city average, as determined by the U.S. department of labor, for the 12 months ending on September 30 of the year before the payment under sub. (4) (b), except that the percentage under this paragraph shall not be less than zero.

79.095(1)(bm) (bm) “Special purpose district” means a metropolitan sewerage district organized under subch. II of ch. 200, a town sanitary district organized under subch. IX of ch. 60, a metropolitan sewerage district created under s. 200.05, or a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district organized under subch. IV of ch. 33.

79.095(1)(c) (c) “Taxing jurisdiction” means a municipality, county, school district, special purpose district, tax incremental district, environmental remediation tax incremental district, or technical college district.

79.095(2) (2) Reporting. Each municipality shall report to the department the following information:

79.095(2)(a) (a) On or before the 2nd Monday in June, the value of the property that is exempt under s. 70.11 (39) and (39m) in each taxing jurisdiction for which the municipality assesses property.