Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Homes Jr. famously said, “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.” But who pays and how much has been debated ever thus. 

When you buy anything from a cup of coffee to a car in Madison, you’re paying sales tax. That money is collected by local shops and sent to the state of Wisconsin. Every two years, the state decides how much of that money to share with the communities where it was collected. Same goes for the income tax you pay every year. 

But cities say that state money is not keeping up with inflation. Costs are going up, but the money to pay for them isn’t. Madison’s got some unpopular choices: ask voters to pay higher property taxes or cut back city services. And when the state’s sitting on a surplus, it’s a hard pill to swallow.

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway tells Dylan Brogan what’s ahead. 

Also on the episode:

🏠 The new westside ReStore opens on Odana Road on Friday! 

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