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City of Madison

D7 Lunch and Learn: Understanding Property Taxes with Alder Badri Lankella

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District 7 Alder Badri Lankella will continue his Lunch & Learn series on Monday, March 9th, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Join us on Zoom for an informative hour with Michelle Drea from the Assessor's Office and David Schmiedicke from the Finance Department. They will explain the role of property assessments in determining property taxes. 

Drea and Schmiedicke provided the following joint statement:

Local governments in Wisconsin rely heavily on property taxes to fund critical services like education, police and fire protection, parks, roads, libraries, and even the courts. Property assessments determine how the taxes are distributed but do not establish how much property tax is collected. This distinction and relationship are often misunderstood. Our goal is to provide helpful information to better understand and navigate the process. 

Bob Soldner, the Assistant Superintendent for Financial Services at MMSD, will also be present to address how district funding fits into the taxation process. This is a unique opportunity to hear from three individuals directly involved in the tax process and gain valuable insights into how your property is affected.  

Following the speakers’ presentations, attendees will have the chance to participate in a question-and-answer session for any lingering questions. Alder Lankella acknowledges the importance of this topic to residents and community members and hopes this Lunch & Learn will “provide clarity, answer questions, and help neighbors better understand the local property tax process.”  

Provide clarity, answer questions, and help neighbors better understand the local property tax process.

You don’t want to miss out on this; register here! After registration, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link and login information to join us day-of. Your confirmation email will be sent from NeighborhoodMeeting2@cityofmadison.com. If you cannot find your confirmation email, or you have questions, concerns, or requests for accommodation, please contact Lorissa Banuelos, Community Engagement Strategist, at Lbanuelos@cityofmadison.com. She is happy to assist you. 

Meet the Speakers

Michelle Drea, blonde shoulder length hair, wearing a black turtle neck, wiith light blue background

Michelle Drea, Assessor's Office

Contact Information

Biography 

Michelle Drea is an attorney with unique expertise that lies at the nexus of the property assessment and legal worlds. Currently, she is the Assessor for the City of Madison. Prior to her position with the City, Michelle served as an attorney charged with oversight of the Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual and Guides Editor for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. This position deepened her knowledge and subject matter expertise in property tax assessment in Wisconsin including Boards of Review, assessment standards and law, and property tax exemptions. 

Finance Director David Schimiedicke, Caucasian male, brown hair, brown rimmed glasses, tan suit with red tie

David Schmiedicke, Finance Department

Contact Information

Biography 

David Schmiedicke is a career budget and finance professional with over 35 years of experience in Wisconsin state and local government and has been the Finance Director for the City of Madison, Wisconsin since 2011. He was appointed by Governors of both parties to serve as State of Wisconsin Budget Director and Deputy State Budget Director from 2001 to 2011.  Prior to that David was the administrator of the State of Wisconsin Building Program, served as Secretary of the State of Wisconsin Building Commission, and was a team leader and analyst in the Wisconsin State Budget Office. 

Bob Soldner, Caucasian male with gray beard, Blue blazer, light blue shirt, with red and white striped tie, standing in front of a brick wall

Bob Soldner, Assistant Superintendent for Financial Services at MMSD

Contact Information

Biography

Soldner has more than 35 years of financial and budgetary management experience at state level. He possesses in-depth knowledge of the PK-12 education landscape as well as compliance expertise with state and federal laws and regulations. Soldner has previously worked for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the Department of Natural Resources, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Over his three decades in public financial administration, Mr. Soldner has demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity and equity in staffing, and the use of data to improve service delivery in diverse communities. 

Contact us at the phone number or email below to request interpretation, translation or a disability-related accommodation at no cost to you.  

Contáctenos al teléfono o correo electrónico listado abajo para solicitar interpretación, traducción o una adaptación especial relacionada con alguna discapacidad sin costo para usted.  

如需口譯、筆譯或殘疾相關的便利服務，請通過以下電話或郵件與我們聯系，相關服務 均免費提供  

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608-266-4071 | council@cityofmadison.com 

About the Madison Common Council

The Common Council's mission is to represent the residents of Madison by promoting the safety, health, and general well-being of the community, by incorporating the following City core values: Equity, Civic Engagement, Well-Being, Shared Prosperity, and Stewardship. Visit the City of Madison Common Council website for additional information.

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