PILOTs as a Means of Circumventing TELs and Managing a Recession: The Case of Wisconsin Municipalities

Following the rise of tax and expenditure limitations in the 1970s, scholars have focused on assessing the effects of these limitations on local government fiscal outcomes. One key takeaway has been local governments’ decreasing reliance on property taxes and increased use of nontax revenue sources, in particular fees and changes. This study builds on this work by focusing on a particular type of fee—that is, payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs). We find that, in Wisconsin, revenues received by municipalities from two PILOTs programs are affected quite differently. The extent to which the economy, municipal fiscal condition, tax and expenditure limits, and community characteristics affect PILOTs’ revenues depends on the extent to which the municipality can manipulate the payment structure.

Impact of Tax and Expenditure Limits on Local Government Use of Tax-supported Debt

This study seeks to broaden our understanding of the impact tax and expenditure limits (TELs) have had on local governments. We chose to focus on local government use of tax-supported debt as TELs are limits on the property tax base and related revenues, two essential components used to determine a government’s legal authority to issue tax-supported debt and its fiscal capacity to maintain long-term solvency. Using county-level data, our analysis finds TELs have a negative impact on local government use of tax-supported debt, especially if the government is subject to a limitation on assessed valuation or the property tax levy.