The Milwaukee Post

July 7, 2017 • Milwaukee County Post • 7 PACKARD PLAZA MALL - In Cudahy 5656 S. Packard • 414-897-7737 256372002 Hours: Tues-Fri 9-6pm Saturday 9-5pm SALE ENDS 7-14-17 SPECIAL DEAL WEEK OF THE SPECIAL DEAL WEEK OF THE SPECIAL DEAL WEEK OF THE SPECIAL DEAL WEEK OF THE SPECIAL SPECIAL DEAL WEEK OF THE SPECIAL SPECIAL DEAL WEEK SPECIAL DEAL WEEK OF THE OF THE SALE ENDS 7-14-17 With Ad Limit One per customer 100pk Disposable Gloves 90¢ 6pk Corn on Cob Holders $1.00 16" Paper Doilies 15/$1.00 240pk 3" x 5" Lined Index Cards 50¢ 3 Ring Binder $1.00 25 pk Incense 50¢ 8pk Black Markers 90¢ Reading Glasses 75¢ Pizza Cutters 50¢ Graduation Plates & Napkins 50¢/pk 2pk Lint Traps 75¢ 50/50 Anti Freeze $5.00/gal Siphon Pump 50¢ Visor Mirror $1.00 500 Double Raffle Tickets $2.00 FREE FREE 32oz Redi-Shine 32oz Redi-Shine Cleaner Cleaner Compare to 409 or Fantastic White Rain 15oz Hair Conditioner White Rain 15oz Hair Conditioner 24oz Body & 24oz Body & Face Lotion Face Lotion 3/ 3/ $ $ 1.00 1.00 To Receive Our Weekly Ad Online 50pk Heavyweight Knive- 50pk Heavyweight Knive- Fork or Spoons Fork or Spoons 90¢ 90¢ $ $ 1.00 1.00 Nice Selection of Quality Annuals, Perennials, Herbs & Hanging Baskets 4.5" Jumbo Pot Perennials $1 OFF Reg. Price 1 Gallon Pot Perennials $ 2 OFF Reg. Price 10" Pot Hanging Baskets $5 OFF Reg. Price 3.5" Pot Herbs $2.50ea. Reg. $2.95 ea. 4.5" Pot Flowering Annuals $4 ea. 3/$10.00 Reg. $4.95 ea. 245049024 6 or more $2 ea. 1 FREE 3" Pot Perennial With any purchase. Limit 1 Per Visit. Luxembourg Gardens MP 8429 W. Forest Hill Avenue, Franklin 414-425-5696 Hours: Mon–Sat. 8-6, Sun. 9-5 LUXEMBOURG GARDENS With this ad Expires 7/16/17 OPINION By OWEN B. ROBINSON There are very few things less exciting to write or read about than property tax assessments. It is a subject as dull and bor- ing as the dry dusty parking lot of an aban- doned Circuit City. Yet, we must walk through that parking lot because there is a movement going on across the country that seeks to push even more of the property tax burden onto Wisconsin's homeowners. At issue is the ominous-sounding "dark store" theory of property tax assessment. It is by this theory that many big box retailers are prevailing on the courts to cut their property tax bills by as much as 70 percent. The dark store theory is, in and of itself, not evil or ominous at all. It is simply an alter- native theory of how to place a value on property, and in the abstract, it is quite rational. There are always two variables in the cal- culation of a property tax bill. The first variable is the tax rate, which is set by each of the myriad taxing authorities. The sec- ond variable is the value of the property. It is in this second variable where this contro- versy rests. In a pure economic sense, the fair market value of any property is whatever price a willing buyer is willing to give a willing seller for the property. Unless a property has just been sold, however, the true value of a given property at any point in time is subject to debate. While municipalities employ trained assessors to estimate the value of properties for the purpose of taxa- tion with complicated formulations com- bining square footage, improvements, com- parisons to comparable properties, etc., even the most reasonable assessment is, at best, an informed opinion that is subject to debate. Recently, some very large retailers like Walgreens, Walmart, Shopko, Menards and others have been challenging their property assessments in court, and winning, under the dark store theory. The retailers are arguing their properties should not be val- ued based on how they are being used today, but by how much they would be worth if they were empty and dark. We have all seen empty big box stores sit vacant and unsold for years because there are very few buyers for properties that were purpose-built for a spe- cific retailer. The consequences are real and the money is big. West Bend Mayor Kraig Sadownikow recently shared a stark example in his testimo- ny for the Committee on Ways and Means. West Bend's two Walgreens stores were taxed at a combined value of $14 million. Walgreens sued under the dark store theory and had the combined valuation reduced to $4.8 million — a reduc- tion of nearly 66 percent. This cut their property taxes by about $180,000 per year. That is $180,000 for the city, county and schools the rest of the taxpayers of West Bend have to cover. While the dark store theory of taxation is not entirely irrational in that it is trying to set the property value on the possible sell- ing price that the retailer could actually get for the property if they leave it, it is entire- ly irrational considering the actual value of that property to a retailer that is using the property to earn profits from local con- sumers. A better way to value commercial properties is to factor in the actual use of the property. Assembly Bill 386, which is supported by all of Washington County's elected state representatives, seeks to do just that. Wisconsin's property taxes are far too high, but we can all agree that the burden should be shared as fairly as possible. The big retailers can be forgiven for wanting to take advantage of every means the law allows to reduce their property tax burden, but Wisconsin's lawmakers need to end this particular means by passing AB 386. Stores with the lights on should be taxed as such. (Owen B. Robinson is a West Bend resident whose column appears occasionally in The Milwaukee County Post. He can be reached at owen@bootsandsabers.com.) Shining light on dark stores Robinson Municipalities, retailers wrestle over property taxes

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