Years of Neglect — Now They Want Your Vote
Superior residents saw property tax hikes up to 90% in 2024. Why?
Because city leaders delayed revaluations for over two decades — and by the time they acted, the damage was done.
Now, two of those same officials — Jenny Van Sickle and Tylor Elm — are running for reelection on April 1st, campaigning on… fiscal responsibility.
You can’t make this up.
The Timeline They Don’t Talk About
- 2000s–2010s: No property revaluation — assessments grow wildly outdated
- 2017: Jenny Van Sickle joins the City Council
- 2018: Tylor Elm joins the City Council
- RW Management warns the city a revaluation is urgently needed
- 2024: Revaluation finally completed after two decades
- Result: Tax increases of 30% to 90%+ for many residents
Residents Suffered. Officials Delayed.
Let’s be clear:
No one is accusing these officials of personally benefiting from the revaluation.
But they did nothing for years. They were warned. They were in power. They had time to act — and they didn’t.
And when the bill finally came due, you paid the price.
And Now They Want Your Vote on “Fiscal Responsibility”?
Van Sickle and Elm are asking for two more years, presenting themselves as fiscally responsible leaders.
But where was that responsibility when:
- The city ignored expert warnings?
- The revaluation was delayed for 20 years?
- Residents were blindsided by massive tax bills in 2024?
Leadership means making hard decisions before a crisis — not after it explodes.
What You Can Do
- 📣 Share this post
- 💬 Talk to your neighbors
- 🗳️ Vote on April 1st with full awareness of this record
This isn’t about party lines. It’s about accountability.
If you’re going to run on “fiscal responsibility,” you should be ready to own your record.
Finding Number 7: Revaluation
Section 70.50 of the Wisconsin Statutes requires the assessor to deliver the annual assessment roll to the Board of Review by the first Monday of May of each year. The meeting of the Boardof Review and completion of the assessment roll are routinely tardy in what appears to be an effort to ward off a Citywide revaluation. For almost 10 years the Board of Review has been pushed to the latter part of the calendar year when State law requires that it be completed by
May. A full valuation has not been completed since 2005. The “2019 Property Assessment Process Guide for Municipal Officials” (Wisconsin Department of Revenue) states:
Revaluation
A revaluation is done by the assessor when the property records are
outdated or inaccurate, assessment uniformity is poor, a full revaluation
hasn’t been done in 10 years, or reassessment is required per sec.
70.75, Wis. Stats. A full revaluation will entail on-site inspections –
interior and exterior, measuring and listing of all buildings, taking of
photos, and sketching of buildings
Recommendation Number 7:
The City should plan now for a revaluation. This can be staffed by utilizing a contract assessment firm and/or hiring temporary assessors and appraisers. While this endeavor maybe costly it is far less expensive than adding permanent staff to the office at full-time pay and benefits, it can be budgeted, and is obviously an infrequent expense as the City has gone almost 15 years since the last revaluation.
Estimated Cost Impact: $100,000
