Letter: Property owners can’t bear another tax increase
To the Editor-
In the past, we have always voted in favor of referenda supporting the Stevens Point Area Public School District.
This time, however, we will vote no. Here’s why.
Recently, the city of Stevens Point completed a city-wide re-evaluation for the 2023 assessment year. The assessed value of our residential property increased by 62.4 percent, which brought it more in line with what we would expect to receive if we elected to sell.
We don’t dispute the new valuation. However, in spite of the mayor saying that our taxes would go up very little, our overall 2023 property tax bill increased by 16.2 percent over 2022. The school district portion went up 21.5 percent.
Quite a windfall when you consider the city-wide reassessment. We calculated that the proposed referendum would add another 11 percent. While it may be justifiable, it is not acceptable, especially given the generous salaries listed in Ruth Pfiffner’s March 14 letter.
Clark and Virginia Crandell
Stevens Point
