Click the link to start using our 2025 Municipal DataTool.

MuniTool dashboards enable users to view and compare municipal data on property taxes, spending, debt, fund balances, shared revenue, property values, and income and population. It also includes key findings from the data at a statewide level.

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Among the tool's findings: total operating spending across all Wisconsin cities and villages increased 7.1% in 2023, from $1,112 per resident to $1,192. This may be attributed in part to high inflation rates in 2022 and 2023, which put upward pressure on labor and other costs.

Today the Forum released the annual update to our Municipal DataTool, or MuniTool. The tool provides interactive data on municipal government spending and services for all 606 cities and villages in Wisconsin – from the village of Yuba (population 53) to the city of Milwaukee.

Click the link below to read more about @TheGRA1914 awards for the Forum and many other deserving honorees. As always, the generosity of our members and supporters is what continues to make it possible for us to produce award-winning research.

Forum Immediate Past President Rob Henken got @TheGRA1914 Gruenberg Award for lifetime achievement. Rob led our organization until 2024, shepherding the merger between our predecessors, the former Public Policy Forum & WI Taxpayer Alliance, to form the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

The Forum won @TheGRA1914's "Most Effective Education Award" for our research on Milwaukee’s K-12 educational landscape and potential opportunities to strengthen it. Recent reports on this topic were authored by our deputy research director, Sara Shaw.

Once more in 2025, Forum research is getting recognition from national peers. The Forum was honored to receive 2 awards from @TheGRA1914 -- the nation’s top association of governmental research professionals -- at its annual conference last month.

We'll also leave plenty of time for Q&A and discussion with our audience. In addition to the great policy discussion, appetizers and a cash bar will be available. Registration is free, but required for this event -- sign up today!.

Then, in a discussion moderated by @WUWMradio's @katikokal, we’ll hear reaction from:. -Kimo Ah Yun, @MarquetteUPres. -Eric Baumgartner, Incoming President, @MSOE. -Anthony Cruz, President, @MATCMilwaukee. -Thomas Gibson, Chancellor, @UWM

We’ll discuss recent Forum research on impacts to higher education institutions and state financial aid from the next state budget -- as well as from potential federal funding cuts.

Our popular Policy in a Pub event returns on Sept. 8 @merrimentsocial in Milwaukee!. Held in partnership with @WUWMradio, it will feature a conversation with the new slate of leaders of Milwaukee's higher education institutions at @UWM, @MarquetteU, @matcmilwaukee and @MSOE.

Projections suggest the frequency & severity of heavy rain events, and potential for floods, will continue to grow. Going forward, local governments may need to balance building much-needed housing with the risk of new development in flood-prone areas.

"Lead author Tyler Byrnes said it's quite possible this past weekend's 1,000-year flood will end up being the most costly Wisconsin flood on record.". Via @AJBayatpour .

"As people across southeast Wisconsin spent a third day tossing out sewage-soaked belongings Wednesday. a new report found severe flooding in this state is happening more frequently.". @CBS58 cites our new research on our state's trend of rising flood insurance claims. 🧵🧵.

Projections suggest the frequency & severity of heavy rain events, and potential for floods, will continue to grow. Going forward, local governments may need to balance building much-needed housing with the risk of new development in flood-prone areas.

Southwestern Wisconsin saw the most flood incidents, in part due to its steep topography and many rivers, which can lead to flooding in its valleys. This helps explain the high $$ of damage claims in that area of the state despite it being less populous than some other regions.

Our analysis relies in part on National Flood Insurance Program data, which show a large increase in flood damage claims in Wisconsin in recent years. These peaked during the floods of 2008, causing nearly $50 million in damage to federally insured property statewide.

The @journalsentinel covered our findings in this new report, via @caitlooby. We find both individuals and communities in Wisconsin will need to take significant additional steps to prepare for more frequent, more severe floods.