What's SRA?
SRA is an acronym for the Wisconsin Seasonal
Residents Association, Inc. SRA is a
not-for-profit corporation devoted to the
interests and issues of Wisconsin property
owners and taxpayers who do not declare
Wisconsin their state of primary residence.
Landowners in this category, seasonal residents
(SRs) are typically part-time residents for
purposes of recreation, retirement, or lifestyle
preference. With over 11,000 members and spouses
throughout the United States, SRA strives to
increase the benefits of Wisconsin property
ownership and part-time residency.
The Association participates in state, county
and municipal forums where representation is
crucial to protecting the interests of all
non-voting, out-of-state property owners. The
Association functions as a research, information
and communications resource for members, and
manages legal, political and economic programs
on behalf of the membership.
In addition, the Association publishes the OSLO
Post, a quarterly update of association news for
members of SRA, as well as LandOwner, a
quarterly based subscription dealing with a
broad range of second-home ownership issues.
WITHOUT AN ADVOCATE
 Current
conditions are not likely to change
New
opportunities will be overlooked
Current
conditions might erode
Fees
will rise unmercifully
Rights
might be compromised
Privileges
eroded
Total
costs go unchecked |
WITH AN ADVOCATE
Strength
is manifest in numbers
A
center of influence is created
Issues
are debated
Benefits
are identified
Reforrn
becomes an objective
Economic
impact is demonstrated
Voting
alliances realized |
Why SRA?
There are over 250,000 titled, residential
landowners in Wisconsin who do not declare the
state their permanent residence. Along with
family and friends in their life, these property
owners represent over 500,000 individuals
contributing to the state on a part-time basis.
They account for millions of acres and billions
of tax dollars.
SRA research shows that these part-time
residents effect the visiting and spending
patterns of between 8 and 12 additional people
per year, per family -well over a million people
depositing their discretionary income in
Wisconsin every year.
Despite the personal and financial commitment to
the state, Seasonal Residents do not enjoy the
same benefits and privileges as state residents.
In addition to healthy sales and property taxes,
Seasonal Residents are required to pay greater
non-resident fees for almost all other citizen
privileges including park admission, hunting and
fishing fees, boating, municipal beach entry,
and the like.
The need for an Association of Seasonal
Residents is to raise the level of
conscientiousness throughout Wisconsin about the
unique contributions of this group of residents
to the state's welfare.
The Mission
The Wisconsin Seasonal Residents
Association supports policies and practices
which enhance the benefits of holding property
in the state of Wisconsin, and opposes policies
and practices which diminish such benefits. The
Wisconsin Seasonal Residents Association also
supports the belief that all Wisconsin property
taxpayers should be treated fairly and equally
regardless of where they have declared their
primary residence.
The Vision
It is the Association's vision that new category
of residency be developed for Seasonal
Residents. That is, a formal recognition that
part-time residency is distinct from the
non-residency and distinct from tourism. A new
category, appearing in various statutes,
ordinances and regulations throughout the state,
would establish seasonal residents as major
stakeholders in the state's economic and social
fabric, while still honoring the special status
of Wisconsin's full-time residents. |
