Budget / taxes
Ted Neitzke: The property-tax-burden statement and the City’s ten-year forecast
Promise vs outcome
Exact statement
“When the project is complete, it will create 1,000 new permanent jobs, pay for significant infrastructure improvements that benefit all of us, spend millions with our local small businesses, and pay taxes that support our schools and reduce the property tax burden on all of us.” [1]
Ted Neitzke, Letter to the editor, Ozaukee Press; republished by the City of Port Washington Office of the Mayor, September 3, 2026
The Mayor's Office republication says the letter to the editor was published by the Ozaukee Press on September 3, 2026.[2] Neitzke said the project's disruptions would be worth it “in the long run” and placed the property-tax statement among benefits he said would occur when the project is complete.[3]
What the record shows
The City's August 18, 2026 outlook projects the city-only tax bill on a $400,000 home, using a 2025 base, at $2,205 in 2027 and then increasing each year to $3,413 in 2036.[4] That is an increase of about 55 percent between the forecast's endpoints.[5] The same table shows a one-year decrease of $98, or 4.2 percent, in 2027.[6][7] The levy used in planning rises from $10,575,540 in 2027 to $16,557,364 in 2036.[8] For this calculation, the outlook subtracts projected TID incremental values from total assessed value to derive the net assessed value supporting local tax levies.[9] The table shows projected TID 5 increment reaching $4,594,743,000 in 2036 while net assessed value is $1,940,365,000.[10][11]
“Estimated City Tax Bill for a $400,000 home (2025 base) $2,205 $2,328 $2,370 $2,409 $2,484 $2,672 $2,819 $2,956 $3,149 $3,413” [12]
2027–2036 Financial Outlook, August 18, 2026
Context
The City prepared the 2027–2036 Financial Outlook for the 2027 budget process.[13] The document says its forecasts and projections are intended to help evaluate fiscal impacts from the attached ten-year capital-project planning schedule.[14] It also states that the project planning schedule is not a budget or City Council approval to move forward with the projects.[15] The homeowner figures cover only the City portion of the property-tax bill.[16]
Analysis
Neitzke said the completed project would pay taxes that “reduce the property tax burden on all of us” and framed the benefits as long-term.[3] The City's own outlook was dated 16 days before the September 3 letter.[17][2] That forecast does not show the City portion of the modeled bill declining over 2027–2036; it projects an increase from $2,205 to $3,413, about 55 percent.[18][5] The forecast does show a $98, or 4.2 percent, one-year decrease in 2027.[6][7] The comparison is between a forward-looking statement and a planning forecast, not an adopted budget or a completed tax outcome.[19][20][21] The forecast table is expressly city-only, so it does not forecast the school district, county or Milwaukee Area Technical College portions of a total property-tax bill.[16] It also calculates the local tax base after subtracting TID incremental values, including the projected TID 5 increment.[22][23]
Sources
Statement source
Appreciating your patience while looking forward to a bright future — City of Port Washington, Office of the Mayor
Pinpoint: Paragraph beginning “I also want to thank my fellow Port elected officials”; Mayor’s Office PDF p. 2, final substantive paragraph.
Record source
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Pinpoint: PDF cover and pp. 3–4, 8–9; especially p. 9, lines 14 and 26–32.
Every source on this page
Each numbered mark in the text links here. Every excerpt is quoted word for word from the source.
Appreciating your patience while looking forward to a bright future — City of Port Washington, Office of the Mayor
Where: PDF p. 2, final substantive paragraph
“When the project is complete, it will create 1,000 new permanent jobs, pay for significant infrastructure improvements that benefit all of us, spend millions with our local small businesses, and pay taxes that support our schools and reduce the property tax burden on all of us.”
Appreciating your patience while looking forward to a bright future — City of Port Washington, Office of the Mayor
Where: PDF p. 1, introductory note above the letter
“The following letter to the editor was published by the Ozaukee Press on September 3, 2026.”
IN MY OPINION: Data center disruptions are temporary; the benefits to come will be long lasting — Ozaukee Press
Where: Paragraph beginning “I also want to thank my fellow Port elected officials”
“It will be worth it for all of us in the long run. When the project is complete, it will create 1,000 new permanent jobs, pay for significant infrastructure improvements that benefit all of us, spend millions with our local small businesses and pay taxes that support our schools and reduce the property tax burden on all of us.”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF cover date; p. 9, “City Only Tax Rate,” lines 29–30
“$400,000 home (2025 base) $ 2,205 $ 2,328 $ 2,370 $ 2,409 $ 2,484 $ 2,672 $ 2,819 $ 2,956 $ 3,149 $ 3,413”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, lines 29–30; calculated as ($3,413 ÷ $2,205 − 1) × 100 = 54.8%
“$400,000 home (2025 base) $ 2,205 $ 2,328 $ 2,370 $ 2,409 $ 2,484 $ 2,672 $ 2,819 $ 2,956 $ 3,149 $ 3,413”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, lines 31–32, 2027 column
“Change from prior year (98)”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, lines 31–32, 2027 column
“% Change from prior year -4.2%”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, line 14, 2027 and 2036 columns
“Levy Used in Planning (17+18) $ 10,575,540 $ 11,449,671 $ 11,982,475 $ 12,054,869 $ 12,296,502 $ 13,075,257 $ 14,188,950 $ 14,705,133 $ 15,476,694 $ 16,557,364”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 8, paragraph beginning “In order to more accurately calculate”
“the estimated incremental values of the TID’s on lines 23-26 are subtracted from the total assessed value of the city. This then derives the “net assessed value” which is the tax base that supports the local tax levies.”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, line 26, 2027–2036 columns; values stated in $1,000s
“TID 5 increment value (EV) - (2,500,000) (4,000,000) (4,080,000) (4,161,600) (4,244,832) (4,329,729) (4,416,323) (4,504,650) (4,594,743)”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, line 27, 2027–2036 columns; values stated in $1,000s
“Net Assessed Value * 1,918,515 1,966,885 2,022,214 2,001,659 1,980,082 1,957,457 2,013,322 1,990,111 1,965,802 1,940,365”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, “City Only Tax Rate,” lines 29–30
“$400,000 home (2025 base) $ 2,205 $ 2,328 $ 2,370 $ 2,409 $ 2,484 $ 2,672 $ 2,819 $ 2,956 $ 3,149 $ 3,413”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF cover
“City of Port Washington 8/18/26 2027 – 2036 Financial Outlook In preparation for the 2027 budget process”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 3, opening paragraph
“The primary objective of this analysis is to be able to use forecasts and projections to help evaluate the various fiscal impacts that would occur as a result of implementing the attached 10-year capital project planning schedule.”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 4, “Appendix A: 2027-2036 Capital Project Planning Schedule”
“The project planning schedule does not represent a budget or the City Council’s approval to move forward with these projects.”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, heading above lines 28–32
“City Only Tax Rate”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF cover
“City of Port Washington 8/18/26 2027 – 2036 Financial Outlook”
IN MY OPINION: Data center disruptions are temporary; the benefits to come will be long lasting — Ozaukee Press
Where: Paragraph beginning “I also want to thank my fellow Port elected officials”
“pay taxes that support our schools and reduce the property tax burden on all of us.”
IN MY OPINION: Data center disruptions are temporary; the benefits to come will be long lasting — Ozaukee Press
Where: Paragraph beginning “I also want to thank my fellow Port elected officials”
“It will be worth it for all of us in the long run. When the project is complete”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 3, opening paragraph
“The primary objective of this analysis is to be able to use forecasts and projections to help evaluate the various fiscal impacts”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 4, capital-project schedule qualification
“The project planning schedule does not represent a budget or the City Council’s approval to move forward with these projects.”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 8, paragraph beginning “In order to more accurately calculate”
“the estimated incremental values of the TID’s on lines 23-26 are subtracted from the total assessed value of the city.”
2027–2036 Financial Outlook — City of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Where: PDF p. 9, line 26
“TID 5 increment value (EV)”
Correction or added context
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