McKenzie and White sworn in, law changes explained by Muelver at Newbold town board meeting

Held two days after the spring election, the April 9 regular meeting of the Newbold town board saw the swearing in of returning town supervisors Mike McKenzie and Brad White for their newest terms by clerk Kim Gauthier.

The board was alerted to two recent law changes in town assessor Jef Muelver’s monthly report.

The first, Assembly Bill 217 within Wisconsin 2025 Act 188, increases the “local government public notice threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, and the competitive bidding threshold from $25,000 to $50,000 for counties and municipalities,” Muelver said. 

“(It) also extends existing exemptions for donated improvements to towns and counties, consistent with the exemption that currently applies to cities and villages,” he added. “So they’ve evened us up with the other municipalities for that.”

The second is Senate Bill 576, part of Wisconsin Act 117. “This creates a property tax exemption for certain prefabricated recreational structures located in licensed campgrounds,” he explained. “So that means that the recreational campers, the ones that were designed to be towed down a road, inside of a licensed campground are now exempt. 

“That also indicates that those same units that are on private parcels, with the units being owned by the same owner who owns the real estate, basically are taxable.”

Muelver noted, “There’s a three-part test that the Department of Revenue has gone over with us extensively … as to the amount of permanency indicated by the surrounding area of the structure. So if we have one of these units that’s hardpiped to water, for example, and or septic, or is hardwired in some fashion to the power supply, to the electric for the parcel, that would then become taxable. 

“If they don’t have that indication of permanency, if they’re carrying current year registration, UFT registration, or if it’s quite obvious that it’s there for a temporary time period only, those units will remain exempt. But those that are set up to stay year-in and year-out will become taxable,” he said. 

The board agreed to Muelver’s request that the “super-short session” of the initial Board of Review, to adjourn to a later date, be scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on May 14 at the Newbold Community Center. That day’s Newbold town board meeting will follow at 6 p.m.

With the town’s brush mower tractor in need of new rear tires, the board approved director of public works Mark Fetzer’s recommendation for $5,353 Nokian tires from Pomp’s of Rhinelander. 

“I’d like to replace (the current Nokian rear tires) with the same brand that’s on there because those tires have lasted 14 years, to my amazement,” explained Fetzer. “These wear like iron. However, they cost similar to silver or gold.” 

Among other highlights of the meeting, the board:

• Appointed Ruth Jaeger to another term as Newbold’s representative on the district library board.

• Heard the town received a recycling grant for $6,819.98 from the county.

• Learned from Gauthier that the voter turnout in Newbold for the April 7 spring election was 42 percent.

The annual meeting of the town of Newbold will be on Tuesday, April 21, and the next regular meeting of the Newbold town board will be on Thursday, April 30. Both meetings will be held at the Newbold Community Center and start at 6 p.m.

Ardith Carlton may be reached at [email protected].