The Town of Hill received a Non-Compliance Advisory from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in November 2025, notifying the town that its property assessment values fall outside acceptable state standards and must be corrected by 2027.
The advisory, reviewed by the Hill Town Board at its November 17 meeting, gives the municipality three years to bring assessed values back into compliance. A full revaluation will be required to meet the state deadline.
What DOR Non-Compliance Means
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue monitors municipal assessment practices to ensure that property values listed on local tax rolls reflect actual market values. When assessed values diverge too far from what properties are selling for, the DOR issues a non-compliance advisory.
Non-compliance does not mean the town is collecting too much or too little in total taxes. Rather, it means the tax burden may be distributed unfairly among property owners. Some residents could be paying more than their fair share while others pay less, based on assessments that no longer reflect reality.
To fix the problem, Hill must conduct a revaluation. The process involves reassessing every property in the township to bring values in line with current market conditions. Revaluations are costly and can shift tax burden among property owners, depending on how much each property’s value has changed relative to others.
The three-year window gives the town time to budget for the revaluation and hire a professional assessor to complete the work. Hill’s deadline for compliance is 2027.
A Town in Transition
The DOR advisory arrives during a period of significant change for the Town of Hill. Chairman Ron Wiitala announced at the April 21, 2026 annual meeting that he plans to resign his position, with a transition running through April 2027. The board voted 18-1 to accept his resignation plan.
Hill has already converted its clerk and treasurer positions from elected to appointed, a move the town made to address difficulties finding qualified candidates for specialized municipal roles in a rural community. Treasurer Alan Niemi was appointed in April 2025. Clerk Sandra Behling was appointed and later replaced by Kristin Torgler.
The town has also grappled with emergency services cost overruns. In October 2024, an Aspirus MedEvac invoice came in well above the budgeted amount. In June 2025, a Taylor County ambulance invoice of $6,967.73 exceeded the $2,500 budget by $4,467.73. The board refused to pay and requested an explanation. Bob Kirkley from Aspirus MedEvac attended the July 2025 meeting to explain that staff changes and reorganization caused the increase.
Revaluation Costs and Timeline
Property revaluations typically cost thousands of dollars for a small township, depending on the number of parcels and the complexity of the work. The town will need to hire a state-certified assessor to perform the revaluation, which involves inspecting properties, analyzing recent sales data, and adjusting assessed values to match market conditions.
The DOR provides guidance to municipalities on the revaluation process, but the cost falls on the town. For Hill, which has already faced budget pressure from EMS cost overruns and the transition of municipal positions, the revaluation adds another financial obligation.
Towns that fail to meet the compliance deadline face continued non-compliance status, which can affect state aid calculations and erode taxpayer confidence in the fairness of the assessment system.
Broader Context
Hill is not alone in facing assessment challenges. Rural Wisconsin towns often struggle to maintain accurate assessments when property values change at different rates across different types of land. Waterfront properties, agricultural land, and residential parcels can appreciate at very different speeds, pulling the In general assessment ratio out of balance.
The DR periodically reviews every municipality’s assessment practices as part of its oversight role. Towns found out of compliance receive a formal advisory and a timeline for correction. The three-year window is standard practice, giving municipalities time to plan and budget.
For Hill, the revaluation will need to be completed before the 2027 deadline, coinciding with the final months of Wiitala’s chairmanship. The town board will need to select an assessor, schedule the work, and communicate changes to residents who may see their property values adjusted, for better or worse.
The combination of the DOR advisory, leadership transition, and ongoing financial pressures from EMS costs places Hill in a challenging position as it enters 2027. How the town manages these converging issues will shape its fiscal health and governance stability for years to come.
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