City of Portage Mayor

05/27/2026

Hello Portage Residents,
May just flew by! Schools are getting out and summer has arrived! We have been very busy as we move into summer, and we have some updates to share.

>On the May 14th Common Council Meeting, the council approved construction awards for the reconstruction of East Pleasant Street. East Pleasant will be fully reconstructed this summer all the way from DeWitt Street to Hamilton Street. Additionally, the Council approved awards for our crack fill and chip seal projects later this summer. There are too many streets to name for those, but they are located in various places all around town.

>The Rolling Prairie Dog Park is now open and ready for residents and their furry friends to enjoy. City of Portage residents with a current licensed dog tag may use the park free of charge. Non-residents may purchase an annual pass at City Hall for $30 or a daily pass onsite for $3. Please remember to pick up after your dogs and help keep the park clean for everyone.

>The Splashpad is also now open daily from 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; however, we are currently experiencing some underground waterline issues that are affecting a few features, and the City is actively working on solutions.

>As summer is beginning, you have probably noticed the mosquitoes are out. It is important to follow a few simple steps to minimize their impact. First, mow your lawn to keep grass short. Mosquitoes and ticks love tall grass, so frequent mowing reduces their habitat. Secondly, keep your lawns clean and tidy. Mosquitoes hate direct sunlight, so if you have junk in your yard (especially tires, tarps, or woodpiles) please remove them. Lastly, reduce standing water around your property; dump water out of containers after rain and change bird baths every few days.

>With the recent warm weather, grass has been growing very fast. As I just mentioned, having tall grass invites mosquitoes and ticks. City ordinance requires grass to be shorter than 8 inches, and if not, the property is in violation. If you notice a property with exceptionally tall grass, call the Police Department at 608-742-2171 so that we can address it with the property owner.

>You have probably seen work being done across from Kwik Trip North next to subway. Last month, the Plan Commission approved 3 new restaurants in that spot: The Dunkin Donuts currently in Walmart will relocate there, in addition to a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream, and an additional restaurant that will be named later. The plan is they will be open later this fall.

>As part of my push to build more housing, Plan Commission provided input on rule changes designed to build alternate types of housing, including “cottage style developments” (which are tiny home communities designed around a shared green space) and permitting four and six-plex townhomes, which are increasing in popularity.

>Our Summer Library Program is starting up. This year’s theme is Unearth a Story, and there are several events for children and teens. On Wednesday, June 3rd, Ms. Kim’s Amazing Animals program will take place at 10am in the Children’s Program Room. Teen Thursdays start at 12pm and feature arts and crafts, along with a free PG-13 movie from the Jurassic Park series. The library will also have free popcorn for the movie.

>On Saturday, June 20th, there will be a showing of the documentary “The Librarians” at 12pm in the library. This documentary examines the increase in book banning in America and the impact this is having on public libraries, librarians, and library workers. There will be popcorn and a question and answer period following the showing.

>The Summer Lunch Program begins Monday, June 1st. The times and locations are as follows: Goodyear Park, 11-11:30am; The Portage Public Library, 11:15-11:45am; Lincoln Park 11:40-Noon; Sanborn Park 12:15pm-12:35pm.

>Don’t forget: if someone wants updates but lacks internet access, I do print out some copies of this monthly update and have then at the library. They are right when you walk in below the bulletin board.

I also wanted to address a question I have been getting a bit more lately: Will Portage open up to ATV/UTV use in city streets? The city is actively looking into this question and gathering more information on what it would look like.
The question isn’t “Can Portage open up ATV/UTV access in the city?” but rather “If Portage did open up, what would it look like, and how would it be done to ensure it works the way everyone wants it to?” We are still going through that last question, and I will look forward to having that discussion here in the coming months. I plan on sharing more about this in the future.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to myself or an alder!
-Mayor Matt

04/30/2026

Hello Portage Residents,
April is finally in the books. This was definitely my busiest month as mayor by far, especially with the floods that took place earlier this month. I’m glad we didn’t have more serious problems. Alright, let’s get to the news.

>District 4 Alder Steve Rohrbeck unexpectedly passed away on Feb 9th. After a process to find a replacement to fill out the remainder of his term, Lydia Foss was appointed to his seat. She was sworn in on April 9th.

>Our municipal Judge, Karl Kindschi, is retiring on June 8th after many years on the bench. Bob Bagnall has been appointed to take over once Karl retires. Thank you, Karl, for your service to our community!

>The flooding that took place this past month was only 2 inches short of record breaking. For a while, it looked like we would exceed record flood stage. The city also took some very heavy rain events during this time too that were made harder by the fact the ground was saturated. However, I was amazed by how our community, county, and state responded. Professionals from Wisconsin Emergency Management, Columbia County, The Wisconsin DNR, Army Corps of Engineers, and many other agencies all worked together to address this issue. In particular, I want to shout out thanks to our Department of Public Works staff, who worked to move pumps to vulnerable areas and ran long hours to put sand in locations we were concerned about. Our fire and police department did a wonderful job collaborating with the state and county on every possible scenario. I also want to thank local businesses and nonprofits that stepped up to help, from the Red Cross, the Lions Club, our area churches, and so many more. Thank you all!

>Our Common Council had a bit less on the agenda this month as city staff was preoccupied with the flooding. Council approved paying invoices as well as combining committees for a more efficient government. Our council approved merging Finance and HR committees into one (since hiring people and retirements always impact budgets) and merging Airport and Municipal Services Committee into one as well (since both require our Public Works Department to manage and maintain).

>Lastly, but not least, we recognized the 11 years of service that Captain Dan Garrigan gave to our Police Department as he retires next month. Captain Garrigan spent many years with the Columbia County Sheriffs Department before joining the Portage Police Department in 2015. Enjoy your retirement!

For this month’s deep dive: Assessments! Many residents are understandably worried after receiving their reassessment letters. When you see your property value increase, it’s natural to assume your taxes will rise too. But assessments don’t work that way. As I promised last week, here is a more detailed explanation as to how they work.

When we talk about property taxes, the levy is the big-picture number: It’s the total pool of money your city, county, or school district needs to raise through property taxes to fund their services. It is not your individual tax bill.
Think of it like a pizza, the levy is the size of the pizza. Your assessment, the value assigned for taxing purposes, is a slice of the pizza. The assessment does not determine your property tax bill; it determines how big your slice of the pizza will be. When assessments go up, people often assume the “pizza” must be getting bigger. But the levy—the total amount of money local governments are allowed to collect—may not have changed at all. If the levy stays the same, the pizza stays the same size.

When it comes to what your property tax bill will be, what matters most is the levy. Last year, Portage’s levy was $9.86 million, a slight decrease from 2024. A city’s ability to increase its levy is highly restricted under state law, with limited exceptions such as new construction, voter-approved referendums, or debt obligations.

Property assessments do not determine how much total tax is collected. Instead, they determine how that total is divided among property owners.
Here’s what that means in practice:

Imagine a city with four homeowners and a total levy of $10,000. If all four homes are assessed at equal values, each homeowner pays $2,500. Over time, property values change. Suppose one homeowner (Homeowner A) makes major upgrades, another makes moderate improvements (Homeowner b, and two see little change (C and D). When the city reassesses property values, those changes are reflected. (See photo that is included-again, note the circles are the same size)

Even if the total levy stays the same at $10,000, the share each homeowner pays can shift:
Homes that increased more in value may pay a larger share.
Homes that increased less in value may pay a smaller share.
The total taxes collected by the city haven’t changed, rather who pays what portion has.

It’s also important to note that the city is only one part of your property tax bill. Other taxing jurisdictions (the school district, county, and technical college) also set their own levies. So even if the city’s portion stays the same or decreases, your total bill can still change depending on those other factors.

In Portage, overall property values increased by about 11% last year, largely due to rising home prices. The city does not control the real estate market, and assessments are updated to reflect those market conditions. That’s part of why I have been trying so hard to get more growth in the city. If more people are paying into the pot, the less each person has to pay or help absorb increases. When new homes, apartments, and businesses are added to the tax base, it can help spread costs across more properties.

What this means for you:
If your property value increased less than the city average, your tax bill may stay the same or even decrease
If your property value increased more than the city average, your tax bill may increase

The key takeaway is this:
Property assessments change who pays what share of the total tax levy—they do not, by themselves, increase the total amount of taxes collected.

04/22/2026

A few people have raised concerns about their assessments and property taxes. Long story short, an increased assessment does not necessarily mean your taxes will go up. I will do a longer write up in my monthly update on why, but in the mean time, I wanted to communicate 3 things:
1) increased assessments do not necessarily increase your taxes. It’s true, google it.
2) this has nothing to do with the school district referendum
3) the city does not decide assessment value. Real estate market conditions do. As home prices continue to rise, so will your assessments. The city cannot control the broader housing market.
Again, a longer update will come later this month. In the mean time, don’t panic.
If you wanted to learn more, please visit https://accurateassessor.com to find out answers to your questions. Since I will detail this more in the monthly update next week, I will not be responding to comments here. It’s beautiful outside. Go walk your dog, grill out, enjoy the sunshine. Don’t stress about assessments.

Engaging our employees to collaborate, educate, and deliver the most reliable and transparent assessment solutions through: innovation, communication and technology.

04/21/2026

My statement regarding this past week’s flooding. Thank you to everyone who reached out this past week!

04/19/2026

04/16/2026

Newest road closures update from the County.

04/16/2026

Sand and sandbags are available to the public.

Residents are asked to bring a shovel and an appropriate vehicle or trailer for transport.
📍 City Location: Sand Shed at the old Public Works Garage (616 Washington St, Portage)
*Access to the shed is accessible from both Morgan Street and the old Garage.
📍 County Location: Columbia County Highway Shop (338 W Old Highway 16, Wyocena)

📸 Pictured below is the City’s sand shed.

04/16/2026

⚠️ SALT UPDATE ⚠️

A few people asked where the salt shed is at the city garage. It is behind it, kitty corner off of Morgan Street. There is a garage barrel with bags inside. It’s this brownish/yellowish building, and you can see the old city garage in the back. Crews are working to put signs out to guide you.

04/15/2026

⚠️ FLOODING UPDATE ⚠️

Salt is at the old salt shed at the old city garage. I have an updated post this morning with photos.

Levee Road is closed. Avoid the area. Conditions can and will change quickly. For latest updates, please follow Columbia County Emergency Management Services page, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office page, and the City Government of Portage Wisconsin page.

04/15/2026

Sharing for all those who did not yet see this. I will be providing an update this afternoon.

The Columbia County Emergency Management Office has issued a press release noting the Wisconsin River is forecasted to rise in the coming days. This is a prediction and conditions may change, but City staff are actively monitoring river levels and weather conditions and are prepared to respond if needed.
Sand and sandbags are available to the public at the Columbia County Highway Shop (338 W Old Highway 16, Wyocena). Please bring your own shovel and a vehicle or trailer for transport.
We’ll continue to share updates as they become available. For more information, please visit: https://www.co.columbia.wi.us/columbiacounty/emergency/Emergency-Management/Announcements-Press-Releases