1998 Municipal Debt Margins
Division of State and Local Finance
Bureau of Local Financial Assistance
The State of Wisconsin Constitution places limits on how much a municipality may borrow. They are limited to an amount equal to five percent of the equalized value of the unit of government.
The following worksheet lists Wisconsin local governmental units, the 1998 equalized value, the debt limit (5% of equalized value), any debt they have outstanding as of December 31, 1998, and the margin for future indebtedness.
Users should be aware of the municipal coding system when accessing this data base. They must know the level of government with which they are dealing (town, village, city, or county) and the county in which it lies if applicable. In cases where a district lies in more than one county, the coding system will recognize the county with the largest amount of equalized value as the primary. The value listed will include those values of portions of the district in secondary counties.
Municipal Coding System
The coding system is a five digit system. As a rule all counties are coded in alphabetical order. Towns, villages and cities are coded in alphabetical order within the county in which they lie.
The first two digits identify the county. There are seventy-two counties. They are listed in alphabetical order beginning with Adams (01) and ending with Menominee (72). Menominee being the exception to the alphabetical rule. The next digit is significant of the level of local government. A "0" in this position designates a township, a "1" indicates a village, a "2" means a city.
Any inquiries should be directed to lgs@revenue.wi.gov.
Last updated January 9, 2003