CORRECTION on Sargento tax challenge story

Posted at 11:30 on August 26, 2019

The Brillion News

HILBERT – A story on Sargento Foods challenging its personal property taxes needs clarification.

The article on page five of the August 22 print edition of The Brillion News indicates that Sargento is seeking to have taxing entities pay back $6.9 million in personal property taxes. That is not correct.

The company is challenging $6.9 million of the personal property assessment, and is seeking to have the personal property assessment on its property in Hilbert reduced by $6.9 million.

“Personal property” in a business setting is not the land or structures, but the machinery on the property.

The taxes assessed against the $6.9 million in personal property valueare what would have to be returned to the company if the challenge succeeds. If the challenge is granted by the State Board of Assessors, the village, school district and technical college would have to refund the taxes levied on the $6.9 million in personal property.

Those taxing entities would not have to refund $6.9 million. The story said that they would, which is not true.

The paper regrets the error.