Alderman Randy Stroik (left) and Mike Phillips will be among those involved in possibly hiring an outside appraisal company to determine if the city overtaxed a local Walgreens property. (City-Times photo)

By Brandi Makuski

A legal battle between the City of Stevens Point and Walgreens could wind up in court this October if the case isn’t resolved soon.

The drug store chain is at odds with the city, as well as about a dozen other locations in Wisconsin, regarding past property tax assessments between 2010 and 2012. Walgreens says its Stevens Point location on Church Street was overtaxed by the city’s assessor and has since filed a lawsuit.

Walgreens won a similar lawsuit against the City of Madison several years ago, spurring additional suits in other municipalities, including Stevens Point and Wausau.

According to court documents, Walgreens claims the city has overtaxed the company by about $125,000.

The city has been without a full-time assessor since 2011, when former City Assessor Jim Seibers left for other work but remained in the spot on a contracted basis. Last October the Council approved keeping the position a contracted one, as opposed to hiring a full-time assessor. Green Bay- based Forward Appraisal was hired last year to fill position on an as-needed basis.  

City leaders on Monday will enter into closed session during a special Finance Committee meeting to consider hiring Milwaukee- based Real Estate Appraisals, Inc. to prepare an independent appraisal report of the Walgreens property. According to city documents, the report will determine whether the previous assessments were “excessive”. 

The Finance Committee meets at 6:45 PM in the Lincoln Center, 1519 Water St. The public is welcome.