Gov. Tony Evers on Friday signed Senate Bill (SB) 24, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 6, to allow the creation of a new Tax Increment District (TID) in the city of Middleton and support Thermo Fisher Scientific. Based on similar legislation passed by the Wisconsin State Legislature and signed by Gov. Evers in 2024, SB 24 received bipartisan support from area lawmakers after the city communicated needs for exemptions to state rule on the TID process to ensure that Thermo Fisher Scientific could continue to support 1,800 jobs in the community.
Last June, Gov. Evers joined company officials from Thermo Fisher Scientific to celebrate the company’s $58 million expansion of its state-of-the-art, good manufacturing practices lab in Middleton, which is expected to add approximately 350 scientists and laboratory support professionals to the almost 2,300 employees working across the company’s research campus in the Capital region.
The Evers administration, through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., is supporting the project by authorizing up to $2.15 million in performance-based business development tax credits through September 2026. The actual amount of tax credits Thermo Fisher Scientific will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period. 2025 Wisconsin Act 6 ensures that continued expansion can continue, protecting not only existing jobs at the facility, but future development and the resulting job creation as well.
Senate Bill 24, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 6:
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Creates an exception to the 12% of equalized value limitation for the creation of TID No. 6 in the city of Middleton if the TID is created before June 1; and
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Disallows the lifespan extension for housing improvements otherwise available to TIDs for TID No. 6.
