Madison Reporter

Brandon Maly, Chairman of the Dane County Republicans, expressed support for Stephen Ratzlaff's candidacy for Dane County Executive. Maly said that Ratzlaff is "committed to cutting property taxes by 30% and prioritizing affordable housing," describing him as "the bold and determined leader Dane County needs to thrive." Maly made these remarks to the Madison Reporter on January 20.

"Stephen Ratzlaff is the clear choice for Dane County Executive, driven by a bold vision to overhaul property taxes and secure affordable housing for everyone," said Maly. "He understands that skyrocketing property taxes are crushing families and undermining efforts to create stable communities. With his plan to cut property taxes by 30%, Ratzlaff is putting residents first and making housing affordability a top priority. Vote for Stephen Ratzlaff—a leader with the determination to make Dane County a place where everyone can thrive."

Stephen Ratzlaff, a Wisconsin native living in Deforest, works in sales and holds certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). He has previously run twice for State Assembly as an independent candidate. Ratzlaff, who is married with two college-aged children, is running for Dane County Executive as a single-issue candidate. He advocates for a 30% reduction in property taxes, arguing that high property taxes are hindering efforts to create affordable housing in the county.

According to the Monroe Times, the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s 2024 Property Values and Taxes DataTool provides interactive data for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and nearly 1,850 municipalities. This tool uses 2023 tax levy data and 2024 property values. In Dane County, equalized property values grew by 8.4%, which is below the previous year’s growth of 11.6% but above the state average. Residential values increased by 8.8%, while commercial values rose by 11.8%, surpassing state trends. The county's gross tax levy grew by 7.8%, marking the highest increase since 2008, with Madison's levy growth at a record of 6.4%. Madison’s property values rose by 8.0%, slightly below the previous year but exceeding the state average.

Maly resides in Middleton and was first elected as Chairman of the Dane County Republicans in 2023. He appreciates serving both his party and voters within Dane County. In his role, he focuses on increasing Republican voter turnout, expanding party membership, and communicating party positions on issues important to local voters.