Tax group says Tom Tiffany signed tax increase pledge

What Tiffany signed

Americans for Tax Reform announced that U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany signed the group’s Governor Taxpayer Protection Pledge while running for Wisconsin governor. The organization described Tiffany as the Republican nominee and said the pledge commits him, if elected, to oppose and veto proposals that would increase taxes.

The pledge is a campaign promise rather than a change to state tax law. ATR also said Tiffany signed the group’s federal version in 2020 while serving in the Wisconsin Senate and campaigning for the state’s 7th Congressional District.

ATR was founded around opposition to tax increases and created its taxpayer pledge in 1985. The organization says nearly 1,400 candidates and elected officials at the state and federal levels have signed one of its pledges.

Tax issues in the governor’s contest

ATR identified Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as Tiffany’s Democratic opponent and contrasted their records on taxes. The group said Crowley supported legislation permitting Milwaukee County to impose a sales tax increase and later praised the county’s decision to raise the rate by 0.4 percentage points.

ATR also said Crowley’s proposed Milwaukee County budget for 2026 included an increase of about in the property-tax levy. A levy is the total amount of property-tax revenue a government plans to collect, not the tax bill for an individual property.

Any changes to those rates would move through the state lawmaking process. Tiffany’s pledge concerns how he promises to respond as governor if legislation raising taxes reaches his desk.