Milwaukee North News

The new bill authored by State Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin seeks to exempt Port Washington from the legal limit on taxable property value in tax incremental districts, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Port Washington. (FE)".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill exempts the city of Port Washington from the current legal limit that restricts the equalized value of taxable property in a new or amended tax incremental district (TID). Typically, the combined value of taxable property in a new or existing TID, along with all existing TIDs in a city or village, cannot exceed 12% of the total equalized value of taxable property in that city or village. However, this legislation specifically states that this 12% limitation does not apply to the creation of Tax Incremental District Number 5 by the city of Port Washington.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Robert Brooks (Republican-59th District). It was sponsored by Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), Representative Paul Melotik (Republican-22nd District), and Representative Jerry L. O'Connor (Republican-60th District).

Jodi Habush Sinykin has co-authored another 17 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Sinykin graduated from the University of Michigan in 1989 and again in 1992 from Harvard Law School with a JD.

Sinykin, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2025 to represent the state's 8th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Dan Knodl.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB122	03/07/2025	Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Port Washington. (FE)