CENTENNIAL, Colo. – The next stage of legislative action has begun in an effort led by OHI, in collaboration with others in Wisconsin, to stave off a tax issue that could spell disaster for campgrounds in the state and create a long-term issue in states across the country.
OHI, its board of directors Chair, Jim Button, owner of Evergreen Campsites in Wild Rose, Wis,, and OHI’s lobby team at The Welch Group, have been working closely with Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Pro Tem, Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca) and Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R- Appleton) to introduce a bill that would clarify that property owned by a camper located on outdoor hospitality licensed campgrounds is wholly exempt from paying property tax on their unit located on a campground site.
“We eliminated the personal property tax, now we have to make sure we finish the job and clear up the current haphazard way that camping units are being assessed,” said bill Rep. Petersen. “This is a billion-dollar industry for Wisconsin and should not be singled out for unfair taxation.”
Previously, the camper’s property was subject to personal property tax but the personal property tax was eliminated starting in 2024. Because of inequities in how different types of campers’ personal properties were being assessed throughout the state, this legislation seeks to codify what many local governments have already done by exempting all campers from taxation.
If signed into law, the legislation will save Wisconsin campground owners and campers hundreds of thousands of dollars and will avert the risk of this type of taxation spreading to other states across the country.
“The OHI team recognized early the impact this tax could have on outdoor hospitality businesses in Wisconsin and have been working diligently to get ahead of the issue in the state before it spreads,” says David Basler, OHI’s SVP of Government Affairs. “This type of thing has a history of quickly spreading to other states like a cancer.”
Jim Button took the lead in originally pushing forward this important initiative.
“Recreational parks should not be responsible for billing and collecting taxes that are not ours. Plain and simple,” Button said. “It would be close to $62,000 in savings for our seasonal campers alone. Maybe in turn, they’ll take some of that and spend it in the local community, making this a win for many small businesses too.”
OHI, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners (WACO), is asking every private campground owner in the state to support this bill by submitting a letter to their legislative leaders by using the link below.
Simply CLICK HERE, type in your address and hit ‘SEND MESSAGE’.
A letter of support will automatically be sent on your behalf to your elected Assembly and Senate member, as well as to Governor Tony Evers and Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez.
To stay up to date on Outdoor Hospitality Industry advocacy efforts in your state and across the country, visit OHI.org/Advocacy or the OHI Action Center.
