Sort-of Waste Treatment Tax Exemption

The Oshkosh Northwestern reported on March 24 that an issue is being raised by Winnebago County officials and state reps surrounding tax breaks for waste treatment and equipment storage facilities. According to the article:

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bill designed to block manufacturers that convert waste into sellable products, such as paper mills, from claiming the exemption. reworking state law so only a facility or equipment that exclusively and directly treats waste would qualify for the exemption.

Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, one of the bill's co-sponsors, said closing the loophole is not just a Fox Valley issue, but of concern statewide because of how state funding for public schools and shared revenue works.

"It does have statewide impact. Its not just Winnebago County or Outagamie County or Brown County. There's going to be a ripple effect on this," Hintz said.

One of the bill's authors, Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, accused manufacturers of trying to exploit a loophole that the tax commission's ruling created.

"The decision was not fair to the property taxpayers of this state," Hansen said.

The article was written by: Bethany K. Warner of the ONW and Michael King of the Appleton Post-Crescent and The Associated Press.