[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of
the City of Franklin 8-5-1997 by Ord. No. 97-1461 as Secs. 3.05 and
3.15 through 3.17 of the 1997 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A. Aggregate tax stated on roll. Pursuant to § 70.65(2),
Wis. Stats., the Clerk shall, in computing the tax roll, insert only
the aggregate amount of state, county, local, school and other general
property taxes minus credits applied under § 79.10(9), Wis.
Stats., except credits determined under § 79.10(7m), Wis.
Stats., in a single column in the roll opposite the parcel or tract
of land against which the tax is levied, or, in the case of personal
property, in a single column opposite the name of the person against
whom the tax is levied. Each tax bill or receipt shall show the purpose
for which the taxes are to be used, giving the breakdown for state,
county, local, school and other general property taxes. The tax roll
shall indicate all corrections made under § § 70.43
and 70.44, Wis. Stats.
B. Tax receipts. Pursuant to § 74.08, Wis.
Stats., the City Treasurer shall enter in each tax receipt given by
the County Clerk for the payment of taxes the name of the person paying
the taxes, if that person is not the owner of the property taxed,
the date of payment and the aggregate amount of taxes paid. Tax receipts
shall be signed and a duplicate kept by the City Treasurer after noting
the payment of taxes upon the tax roll. The Treasurer shall then deliver
the receipt to the appropriate person.
A. Property taxes, annual, realty and improvements on
leased land installments. All personal property taxes, except those
upon improvements on leased land, shall be paid on or before January
31 next following the receipt of the tax roll upon which such taxes
appear by the City Treasurer, and all real estate taxes and personal
property taxes upon improvements on leased land shall be paid as provided
in this section.
B. Installment payments. Every person, corporation or
entity charged with real estate taxes or personal property taxes upon
improvements on leased land on a tax roll in the hands of the City
Treasurer shall pay to such Treasurer the full amount thereof on or
before January 31 next following the receipt of such tax roll by such
Treasurer, or the taxpayer may pay such taxes in three installments
as follows:
(1) The first installment shall be equal to 50% of the
total amount of such taxes charged and shall be paid to the City Treasurer
on or before January 31.
(2) The second installment shall be equal to 25% of the
total amount of such taxes charged and shall be paid to the City Treasurer
on or before March 31.
(3) The third and final installment shall be equal to
25% of the total amount of such taxes charged and shall be paid to
the City Treasurer on or before May 31.
(4) No installment shall be less than $100 if the total
tax exceeds $100 or less than the total amount of the tax if the same
does not exceed $100.
C. Special assessments. All special assessments, special charges and special taxes that are placed in the tax roll shall be paid in full on or before January 31. The payment of special assessments, special charges and special taxes may be made in three installments, as provided in Subsection
B above, if authorized by a two-thirds vote of the Common Council.
D. Delinquent first installment. If the first installment of real property taxes, personal property taxes on improvements on leased land or special assessments, special charges or special taxes to which the installment option under Subsection
B above pertains is not paid on or before January 31, the entire amount of the unpaid taxes, special assessments, charges or taxes, to which an installment option pertains on that parcel, is delinquent as of February 1.
E. Delinquent second or third and final installment. If the second or the third and final installment payment of real property taxes, personal property taxes on improvements on leased land or special assessments, charges or taxes to which an installment option pertains is not paid by the due date specified under Subsection
B above, the entire amount of the remaining unpaid taxes or special assessments to which an installment option pertains on that parcel is delinquent as of the first day of the month after the payment is due, and interest and penalties are due under Subsection
G below.
F. Delinquent annual payment.
(1) If all special assessments, special charges, special taxes and personal property taxes to which an installment option under Subsection
B above does not pertain, and that are due under Subsection
A above, are not paid in full on or before January 31, the amounts unpaid are delinquent as of February 1.
(2) If any special assessments or special charges or special
taxes are entered in the tax roll as charges against a parcel of real
property and are delinquent, the entire amount of real property taxes
on that parcel which is unpaid is delinquent as of February 1.
G. Payment of delinquent payments, interest and penalties.
(1) All real property taxes, special assessments, special
charges and special taxes that become delinquent and are paid on or
before July 31, and all delinquent personal property taxes, whenever
paid, shall be paid, together with interest and penalties charged
from the preceding February 1, to the City Treasurer.
(2) All real property taxes, special assessments, special charges and special taxes that become delinquent and are not paid under Subsection
G(1) shall be paid, together with interest and penalties charged from the preceding February 1, to the County Treasurer.
H. Payment priority. If the City Treasurer receives a
payment from a taxpayer which is not sufficient to pay all amounts
due, the Treasurer shall apply the payment to the amounts due, including
interest and penalties, pursuant to § 74.12(11), Wis. Stats.,
as amended from time to time.
I. Interest and penalties on delinquent payments.
(1) Interest. The interest rate on delinquent general
property taxes, special charges, special assessments and special taxes
included in the tax roll for collection is 1% per month or fraction
of a month.
(2) Penalties. In addition to the interest under Subsection
I(1), there is hereby imposed a penalty of 0.5% per month or fraction of a month on any delinquent general property taxes, special assessments, special charges and special taxes included in the tax roll which are delinquent. This penalty shall apply to any property taxes, special assessments, special charges and special taxes that are delinquent on the effective date of this section.
J. Overpayment
of taxes refunding process. The Common Council hereby authorizes the
City Department of Finance and Treasury to issue property tax refund
checks for any and all overpayments of $8 or more, and furthermore
to authorize the City Department of Finance and Treasury to issue
property tax refund checks of less than $8 at the request of the taxpayer.
For any check so issued an $8 service fee will be assessed for processing,
provided such overpayment was not due to any negligent error, act
or omission by the Department of Finance and Treasury in the processing
of the subject tax bill. Any amounts not refunded will be held in
the general fund of the City of Franklin.
[Added 1-16-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-2581]
K. Effective date. This section shall take effect and be in force after its passage and publication and from January 1, 1996, for the calendar year 1996 and all years thereafter until amended or repealed, pursuant to § 74.12(1)(a), Wis. Stats. Subsection
J above, adopted on January 16, 2024, does not in any way affect any other provision in this section and this section remains in full force and effect.
[Amended 1-16-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-2581]
A. Pursuant to the authority of § 74.80(2)(a),
Wis. Stats, the City hereby imposes a penalty of 0.5% per month or
a fraction thereof in addition to the interest prescribed by § 74.80(1),
Wis. Stats., on all overdue or delinquent personal property taxes
retained for collection by the City or eventually charged back to
the City by the county for purposes of collection under § 74.31,
Wis. Stats.
B. This penalty of 0.5% per month or fraction thereof
shall apply to any personal property taxes which are overdue or delinquent
on the effective date of this section or which subsequently becomes
due or delinquent.
[Amended 12-15-1998 by Ord. No. 98-1526; 3-5-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-1708; 12-6-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-2244]
A. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
HOTEL or MOTEL
A building or group of buildings in which the public may
obtain accommodations for a consideration, including, without limitation,
such establishments as inns, motels, tourist homes, tourist houses
or courts, lodging houses, rooming houses, summer camps, apartment
hotels, resort lodges and cabins and any other building or group of
buildings in which accommodations are available to the public, except
accommodations, including mobile homes as defined in § 101.91(10),
Wis. Stats., manufactured homes as defined in § 101.91(2),
Wis. Stats., and recreational vehicles as defined in § 340.01(48r),
Wis. Stats., rented for a continuous period of more than one month
and accommodations furnished by any hospitals, sanatoriums, or nursing
homes, or by corporations or associations organized and operated exclusively
for religious, charitable or educational purposes, provided that no
part of the net earnings of such corporations and associations inures
to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. In this subdivision,
"one month" means a calendar month or 30 days, whichever is less,
counting the first day of the rental and not counting the last day
of the rental.
OPERATOR
A person, firm or association of any kind which owns a hotel
or motel as defined in this section.
TOURISM PROMOTION and TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Any of the following that are significantly used by transient
tourists and reasonably likely to generate paid overnight stays at
more than one establishment on which room tax may be imposed:
(1)
Marketing projects, including advertising media buys, creation
and distribution of printed or electronic promotional tourist materials,
or efforts to recruit conventions, sporting events, or motorcoach
groups.
(2)
Transient tourist informational services.
(3)
Tangible municipal development, including, but not limited to,
a convention center.
TRANSIENT
Any person residing for a continuous period of less than
one month in a hotel, motel or other furnished accommodations available
to the public.
B. Tax imposed. Pursuant to the authority of § 66.0615(1m)(a),
Wis. Stats., the City hereby imposes a tax in the amount of 8% of
gross receipts from the lease or rental of a hotel or motel to transient
persons within the City. The effective date of this rate is March
1, 2021, or such date the proprietor collects the 8% tax, whichever
is earlier. Any tax so imposed shall not be subject to the selective
sales tax imposed by § 77.52(2)(a)1, Wis. Stats.
[Amended 2-2-2021 by Ord.
No. 2021-2456]
C. Reporting required.
(1) Every operator covered by this section shall submit a quarterly report
to the City Clerk showing the gross receipts from furnishing accommodations,
together with a copy of the state sales tax report for the business
and the tax due to the City. The report, state sales tax report and
tax shall be submitted quarterly by not later than 30 days from the
end of each calendar quarter for the receipts of the past calendar
quarter. The quarterly report shall be signed by the operator under
penalty of perjury.
(2) The operator may retain 5% of the tax collected for administration
up to $50 per quarterly submittal, if the complete submittal is received
by the City by the due date.
D. Tourism Commission.
(1) Creation. There is hereby created a City of Franklin Tourism Commission
to coordinate tourism promotion and development in the City.
(2) Composition. The Commission shall consist of five members. At least
one Commissioner shall represent the Wisconsin hotel and motel industry.
Commissioners shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the
Common Council.
(3) Term. Commissioners shall serve for a one-year term expiring on January
1 at the pleasure of the Mayor. Commissioners may be reappointed.
(4) Officers. The Commission shall elect a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson
and Secretary at the first meeting held after January 1 of each year.
(5) Meetings. The Commission shall meet regularly and conduct its proceedings
in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
(6) Duties.
(a)
Use the room tax appropriated to the Commission for tourism
promotion and tourism development within the City.
(b)
Submit a report to the Common Council on or before November
1 of each year itemizing its expenditures and proposing its budget
for the following year.
E. Appropriation.
(1) Pursuant to § 66.0615(1m)(dm) Wis. Stat., the City shall
appropriate the following funds to be spent by Tourism Commission:
(a)
For the fiscal year 2017, the greater of either 30% of current
year revenues or any funds exceeding the amount of room tax revenue
retained by the City in the 2014 fiscal year.
(b)
For the fiscal year 2018, the greater of either 30% of current
year revenues or any funds exceeding the amount of room tax revenue
retained by the City in the 2013 fiscal year.
(c)
For the fiscal year 2019, the greater of either 30% of current
year revenues or any funds exceeding the amount of room tax revenue
retained by the City in the 2012 fiscal year.
(d)
For the fiscal year 2020, the greater of either 30% of current
year revenues or any funds exceeding the amount of room tax revenue
retained by the City in the 2011 fiscal year.
(e)
For the fiscal year 2021 and thereafter, the greater of either
30% of current year revenues or any funds exceeding the amount of
room tax revenue retained by the City in the 2010 fiscal year.
F. Enforcement.
(1) The City adopts by reference the enforcement provisions in § 66.0615,
Wis. Stat., as amended from time to time, including:
(a)
If a City has probable cause to believe that the correct amount
of room tax has not been assessed or that the tax return is not correct,
inspect and audit the financial records of any person/operator pertaining
to the furnishing of accommodations to determine whether the correct
amount of room tax is assessed and whether any room tax return is
correct.
(b)
There shall be a forfeiture of 5% of the tax due for failure
to comply with a request to inspect or audit.
(c)
The City Clerk shall utilize his or her best judgement to determine
the tax due if the operator fails, neglects or refuses to furnish
a complete report within 60 days of the date it is due.
(d)
The amount of tax which the Clerk determines is due under Subsection
F(1)(c) is additionally subject to 1% per month payment of the unpaid balance. No refund or modification of the amount may be made until the operator files a correct report and allows the City to inspect and audit the accommodation's financial records.
(e)
The Common Council may subject any operator who fails to pay
a tax when due an assessment of up to 25% of the room tax due or $5,000,
whichever is less.
(2) If a false or fraudulent report is filed with the intent to evade
the tax imposed, the Common Council may additionally subject the operator
to an assessment of 50% of the tax due.
(3) Upon conviction for violation of any provision of this section, the
court shall impose the above amounts as forfeitures and order the
payment of the forfeiture, tax and cost of prosecution and, in default
of payment of the forfeiture tax and cost of prosecution, may order
the operator imprisoned for up to 90 days in the county jail.