Alliance Approves 2005-2006 Agenda
By Rich Eggleston
In addition to approving a first step toward regional
revenue sharing, Alliance city leaders have approved an ambitious agenda that addresses
the four "R's" the organization embraced last session:
- Reduce the cost of government;
- Reduce property taxes;
- Reform government;
- Revitalize Wisconsin's economy.
A fifth "R" emerged from our meetings with city leaders around the state:
- Regional problem solving.
We believe that the centerpiece of the Alliance's agenda, regional revenue sharing,
represents a significant step to revitalize Wisconsin's economy. Even though it would
start as a modest program and leave in place the state's equitable and proven shared
revenue program, it would start people thinking about the regional economies that together
form Wisconsin's overall state economy, and jumpstart them to work together to build our
regional economies.
Also, many of the recommendations embrace more than one of the "R's." To
state the obvious, it's hard to solve problems regionally or reform government without
reducing the cost of government. Wisconsin's persistent and troublesome Double Whammy
problem — in which some citizens
receive a single governmental service but are billed for two — is the perfect example, and it remains the top issue
of our city leaders as a group.
The 39 individual proposals, grouped into seven broad areas that build on the
"Four R's," embrace both big ideas and smaller ones. But all would make
Wisconsin state and local governments work better and more efficiently for our citizens,
and ultimately make Wisconsin a better place to live.
The Alliance agenda:
 Reduce the cost of government |
Reaffirm commitment to AFL-CIO health insurance plan.
Pursue
changes passed in the substitute amendment to AB 598, mediation arbitration.
Allow
communities to match state contracts and avoid arbitration.
Get rid of
the master-plumber requirement for city inspections and water utility work.
|
| Reduce property taxes |
Define benevolent and charitable.
Expand sales
tax base, drop rate along lines suggested by the Wis. Counties Association.
Pursue
elimination of the state gas tax on municipalities.
Repeal s.
74.37, Stats. It allows citizens a "third kick at the cat" in assessment
appeals.
Work with DOT
to lower the per-request fee for vehicle registration holds.
|
Reform government: New
approaches to Double Whammy |
Define service responsibilities of cities, counties,
villages and towns.
Define role
of counties in providing municipal services.
Provide that
counties must contract, not levy, for municipal services they provide.
Prohibit
counties from financing town storm water management plans.
Provide
county tax credits to offset cost to taxpayers of duplicated services.
|
Reform government: General |
Automatic inclusion of watershed territory into watershed
mgmt districts.
Unilateral
annexation of town islands.
Channel
telecom companies' property taxes to local governments, not the state.
Allow
G.O.borrowing outside overall debt limits if supported by segregated revenue.
Allow DOT and
DOR to share social security numbers to nab scofflaws.
Cap the cost
of publishing legal notices / allow publication on newspaper web sites.
Allow lakebed
redevelopment.
Clarify that
crossing guards, like busing, are the schools' job, not the municipality's.
Create a
spending reserve for Expenditure Restraint Program.
Increase
minimum competitive bid amt. from $15,000 to $300,000 for munis & hsing authorities.
Charge
interest for past-due property taxes, but don’t require payment of balance due.
|
Solve problems regionally |
Pursue regional revenue sharing.
Eliminate
barriers to service consolidations.
Provide
watershed-based storm water management.
Provide
incentives for regionalization.
Develop
regional transportation authorities. Include streets and roads.
Negotiate
rather than mandate payments to towns under Act 317 (2003 SB 87).
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| Reduce the cost of government: Combat sprawl |
Modify Ch. 236 platting requirements to eliminate
incentives for sprawl.
Create an
Infrastructure Efficiency Initiative to fight sprawl.
Allow
development above a certain density only in a 208 Sewer Service area.
|
Reform government: Expand
fee authority |
Allow municipalities to charge a fee for those who file
personal property taxes late.
Allow
municipalities to charge a refundable fee for assessment appeals.
Fee for tax
exemption applications.
Fee for
services offered (not current) (public safety fee).
Increase
municipal court fees (not raised in several years) (2003 AB 819)
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