IN THE NEWS
Few Communities Ask Voters To Raise Taxes. Those That Do Are Trying To Maintain What They Have.
Local Governments Looking To Address Infrastructure, Maintain Services
From 2006 through 2017, there were 28 communities who received the green light from voters to raise taxes. Last year, there were 14 local governments that gained voter approval to exceed levy limits, according to figures provided by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
"I think that reflects the fact that communities have been operating under very strict — (the) strictest levy limits in the country — since 2006," said Curt Witynski, deputy director of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities. "They’ve used all their reserves. They don’t really have other revenue sources. There hasn’t been an increase in shared revenue — only decreases in this decade."
Shared revenue funding for counties and municipalities declined 8.5 percent from 2009 to 2019, due largely to cuts in 2010 and 2012, according to the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Communities basically have reached the point I think where they really do have to ask the voters, 'Do you want to continue this level of services"Communities basically have reached the point I think where they really do have to ask the voters, 'Do you want to continue this level of services?" said Witynski.
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"We'll be doing this forever." Understanding the impact of PFAS
“We wanted to take a look at what this contamination means for the surface water ... The first phase is focusing right in the Marinette and Peshtigo areas, sampling rivers and tributaries – the water and sediment,” Remucal explains. “The goal is to find out how much of the chemicals stick to the sediment versus staying in the water. Then we want to move a little bit bigger and go out on Green Bay and Lake Michigan and look at both water and sediment again, but on a really big body of water.”
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Resolution to Support Senate Homelessness Bills Moves to Wausau City Council
(Note - this is an earlier story. The resolution was adopted unanimously on Nov. 26.)
“After concerns from the community regarding the homelessness issues in Wausau over the past couple weeks, members of the committee found it important to show their support for the bills. Including District 1 Alder Pat Peckham who brought the idea of creating a resolution to committee chair Lisa Rasmussen.
Speaking with WSAU News after the meeting, Peckham says the resolution is one way city leaders can show their support in helping to solve homelessness issues at all government levels. "We would like to show our community support for State Senate consideration of these bills. We hope they pass them."”
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Read Wausau's resolution...
It's time to start talking about a Cambridge village referendum
It’s an understatement to say that Cambridge’s 2020 budget process was challenging.
Limited to a tax levy increase mirroring the value of its recent net new construction, the village’s 2020 levy was only allowed to go up 1.47 percent over 2019, or about $17,500. That’s significantly below the inflation rate and is out of a total 2020 village tax levy, adopted on Nov. 26, of about $1.2 million. It’s the reality of little-to-nothing new recently being constructed in Cambridge.
In the end, the Village Board made many hard choices for 2020, including voting to fund street repairs at a total cost of about $25,000 while only giving the Cambridge Fire and EMS Commission about $2,600 of the $27,000 it sought for the coming year.
Madison Metropolitan School District Joins City of Madison in Renewable Energy Purchase
Together the City and School District commitments will enable MGE to construct the Hermsdorf Solar Project in Fitchburg. This project will deliver seven megawatts of solar capacity to help meet the energy needs for City and MMSD operations – the equivalent electricity use of over 1,800 homes.
The local solar farm will provide multiple benefits to the Madison area by reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, creating local jobs, and keeping the money from utility bills in the local economy. Both the City of Madison and MMSD pursued this project to help achieve their renewable energy goals and create these additional local benefits.
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'She moved mountains': Former Marshfield mayor, civic leader Marilyn Hardacre dies at 84
Hardacre was also the
first woman to serve as president of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities.
"It took a lot of hard work," Jerry II (her son) said. "It was a different time. Women weren’t necessarily involved in politics."
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Inclusivity on the League's November Local Perspective
What makes a community, either large or small, a welcoming community? In making your community a more attractive place to live and work for diverse residents, how do you honor the community's heritage? What do you do to get there? Jerry Deschane sits down with Eric Giordano, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy & Service for our November Local Perspective. Eric works with communities around the state to address community needs.
Watch it on the League's YouTube channel here...
Thanks to FACTv in Fitchburg for hosting us!