Madeline Island and Asland County at odds
Written by Jesse Baroka on January 26, 2023
LA POINTE, WI. – The Madeline Island Town of La Pointe is asking the Wisconsin Department of Revenue to deny Ashland County the power to collect property taxes for law enforcement the County no longer provides. For the past 27 years, the County paid the town to have La Pointe’s police handle patrol and dispatch services. A statement from the town reads, “That arrangement was critical in allowing La Pointe to fund and operate a full-time police department of its own. The arrangement also allowed County sheriff’s deputies to focus activities on mainland communities instead.” Last year the County Board voted to pay the Town nothing in 2023. Glenn Carlson, chair of the La Pointe Town Board was quoted in a news release saying, “The County can’t have it both ways…. You can’t keep our money if you’re not providing the services you’re taxing us for.” On January 11 La Pointe filed a lawsuit against Ashland County claiming the County is violating the state Constitution by not providing La Pointe the same level of patrol, emergency response, or back up that the sheriff provides in mainland communities. The town say in 2023 property owners in La Pointe will pay more than $364,000 to Ashland County.
