Your private property tax assessments are increasing at among the fastest rates anywhere in the City of Madison; whether you are a renter, landlord or homeowner. The City average rate increase was 6.1%; which contrasts with the assessment districts included in our neighborhood that increased at 7.5%, 8.4% and 13%; for Tenney Park, Lapham School-Breese Stevens and Lakeshore-Isthmus respectively - so says an April 8 Wisconsin State Journal article. While the article and City seemingly celebrated the increase in commercial assessments as witness to Madison‚s booming economy, listing these increases first as "Highlights"; closer reading again notes that you as a renter, landlord or homeowner still foot the bill for the majority of the tax value -- over 60% of 11.9 Billion dollars. The short of it may be that you are getting the short of it.

Furthermore, the majority of our neighborhood residents are renters who, no thanks to the State Legislature, no longer receive any property tax rental credit at all for their indirect and very substantial contributions.

And TIFs, remember those million dollar subsidies we are providing to developers, to spur on economic development? A TIF is money in the bank for those that receive them and it is your money that subsidizes the mortgage. Seen any TIF in the near vicinity of the near East Side? And the E. Washington Corridor redevelopment, some 48 million dollars almost entirely supported by your federal and state taxes (City of Madison planned contribution is less than 5%) - the project designed to beautify and improve the Eastside "Gateway to the State Capitol"? Collaboratively designed with neighborhoods to not increase the number of lanes since increases in traffic volume decrease quality of life and neighborhood property values? That project is now getting further away instead of closer. The start time is now 2004. Remember when the E. Wash-Yahara Bridge was planned for 1999? Oh, and reconstructing streets to divert traffic from E. Johnson-Gorham to E. Washington planned in 1978 that was catalyzed by the formation of the TLNA. That never happened.

Recently someone asked me if there were two Tim Olsens in our neighborhood - because a City official related a story that did not reflect the personality of the positive, easy-going, collaborative one that they knew. Positive is always the first and best approach, and politically anger is only helpful when it is articulated sparingly and with deliberation. Here are two questions for City staff and elected officials that might be used sparingly and deliberately. How are our tax dollars distributed to equitably enhance neighborhoods throughout the City? and my favorite.. Who do you work for?

-Tim Olson