March 13, 2023 at 12:35 p.m.
Minocqua town board denies Marshfield Clinic unlawful tax claim
Koski: 'I didn't see a reason to exempt it'
Before the relatively recent addition of a tax-exempt hospital, the clinic facility had been taxed. However, with the addition of the hospital, the Marshfield Clinic system is now seeking tax-exempt status for the entire facility.
Town chairman Mark Hartzheim had just read the agenda item when town supervisor Brian Fricke spoke up.
"Motion to deny," he said.
"Second," said town supervisor John Thompson.
Hartzheim said town assessor Kitt Koski "should touch on this" to distinguish it from similar claims made by Wal-Mart the past few years.
The most recent Wal-mart claim was denied by the town board at its Feb. 22 meeting.
Koski said he visited the Marshfield Clinic facility in Minocqua in the summer of 2021.
"It seemed like it was still being run as a clinic to me," he said. "I didn't see any reason to exempt it."
The assessment on the property is $16,892,700 and Marshfield Clinic's claim was for almost $152,000.
"In 2021, they didn't file a claim against it and now, in 2022, they have filed a claim," Koski said. "There's a lot going on there with leases ... a lot of complicated things but in my opinion, they haven't met burden of proof to become exempt."
He mentioned ongoing litigation in Marshfield in which the Marshfield Clinic Health System was attempting to do the same thing with its clinic facilities in the City of Marshfield and the assessment involved there is in the $110 million range.
"They're in their third year (of litigation)," Koski said, adding that he expects that litigation to be resolved in the next year.
"If there's case law showing something different than what I believe, then obviously, we'll have to follow it," he said.
On Wednesday, Koski told The Lakeland Times he anticipated legal action from the Marshfield Clinic system against the town as a result of the town board's action based on his decision.
"It's tough," he said. "I mean, common sense tells you they should be paying taxes. They have loopholes and things like that, they have leases with the Marshfield Clinic Hospital System ... I'm not a hospital tax exemption lawyer. I'm an assessor. It's my decision to do these things."
Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.