Republican legislative leaders on Thursday offered a 2,500-word constitutional amendment that would tie state, school and local government tax collections to factors ranging from inflation to population growth and, for cities and villages, to new construction.
Local government officials instantly denounced the proposal, saying that it would cripple their ability to provide services at current levels and cope with health care costs that are increasing much faster than inflation.
The proposal would limit state revenue, including most fees but excluding University of Wisconsin System tuition, to increases dictated by the three-year average change in inflation, plus population growth.