MONROE - At a Green County Board meeting Tuesday, Chair Art Carter, who also serves on the Finance and Accounting Committee, informed fellow supervisors that the committee was discussing the possibility of a county vehicle registration but noted legislation currently at the state level may hinder the freedom of the board to impose one.
Commonly referred to as a wheel tax, the concept of a registration fee was introduced before Highway Commissioner Chris Narveson commended the Green County Highway Department's past care of roads through the use of seal coating. He noted roads should not exceed 30 years of use, and that 2 percent of county highways are 35 to 39 years old.
"In the short-term, I think we're fine, except when I factor in the bridges and the structures we've got under our roads," Narveson said. "We're not getting any more funding, and I think the county has been pretty generous with the highway department. I know no one likes the idea of a wheel tax, but the cost of repairing the roads has gone up."
However, Assembly Bill 361 and Senate Bill 374 may hinder the county's ability to put one in place by requiring local governments to hold a referendum for any proposed wheel tax. If voters fail the referendum, the municipality wouldn't be able to impose the tax.
Supervisor Jerry Guth said he emailed both Rep. Todd Novak, 51st Assembly District, and Wisconsin Sen. Howard Marklein. According to Guth, Novak said he did not support the bill.
After a public hearing Thursday, Novak said he was not endorsing the measure because it was a response to "how Milwaukee and Dane County did it." He explained Dane County garnered no public input before implementing the tax, and after an advisory referendum in Milwaukee found little public support, it was ignored. Instead of the money going to road repairs in Milwaukee as wheel taxes are commonly used, buses were purchased.
As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Novak said he has evaluated the bill and found it to be working against smaller governmental bodies. Novak said he and fellow Republicans on the committee have shared concerns.
"I believe making it mandatory takes local control away from local officials," Novak said, echoing a sentiment expressed by Carter during the board meeting. "An advisory referendum can still be done. I personally think local officials in southern, rural Wisconsin are more accessible, unlike bigger counties. They're going to hear from the public."
Novak added that he understands the difficult position a number of local governments are in because no solution for public infrastructure has been put in place by lawmakers, asserting that the state needs to give more aid for county roads. A change to the law would also require any fees currently in place to be decided retroactively in a referendum vote within 18 months of the bill's passage.
Narveson shared a list of nine bridges in need of replacement within the next 20 years, highlighting structures along County M, County S and County KK, among others. Bridges that cross the Pecatonica River and Jordan and Searles Creek are part of 66 in Green County that have significant wear with no funds in place for repairs, Narveson said.
Supervisors noted following required state regulations, such as engineering, would only add to the cost of work on these bridges. Displaying a photo of the underside of a structure on County T, Narveson said there was no choice regarding the bridge spanning roughly 20 feet.
"This one's got to be replaced next year, it's gotta," Narveson said. "Either that, or we close the road."
Commonly referred to as a wheel tax, the concept of a registration fee was introduced before Highway Commissioner Chris Narveson commended the Green County Highway Department's past care of roads through the use of seal coating. He noted roads should not exceed 30 years of use, and that 2 percent of county highways are 35 to 39 years old.
"In the short-term, I think we're fine, except when I factor in the bridges and the structures we've got under our roads," Narveson said. "We're not getting any more funding, and I think the county has been pretty generous with the highway department. I know no one likes the idea of a wheel tax, but the cost of repairing the roads has gone up."
However, Assembly Bill 361 and Senate Bill 374 may hinder the county's ability to put one in place by requiring local governments to hold a referendum for any proposed wheel tax. If voters fail the referendum, the municipality wouldn't be able to impose the tax.
Supervisor Jerry Guth said he emailed both Rep. Todd Novak, 51st Assembly District, and Wisconsin Sen. Howard Marklein. According to Guth, Novak said he did not support the bill.
After a public hearing Thursday, Novak said he was not endorsing the measure because it was a response to "how Milwaukee and Dane County did it." He explained Dane County garnered no public input before implementing the tax, and after an advisory referendum in Milwaukee found little public support, it was ignored. Instead of the money going to road repairs in Milwaukee as wheel taxes are commonly used, buses were purchased.
As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Novak said he has evaluated the bill and found it to be working against smaller governmental bodies. Novak said he and fellow Republicans on the committee have shared concerns.
"I believe making it mandatory takes local control away from local officials," Novak said, echoing a sentiment expressed by Carter during the board meeting. "An advisory referendum can still be done. I personally think local officials in southern, rural Wisconsin are more accessible, unlike bigger counties. They're going to hear from the public."
Novak added that he understands the difficult position a number of local governments are in because no solution for public infrastructure has been put in place by lawmakers, asserting that the state needs to give more aid for county roads. A change to the law would also require any fees currently in place to be decided retroactively in a referendum vote within 18 months of the bill's passage.
Narveson shared a list of nine bridges in need of replacement within the next 20 years, highlighting structures along County M, County S and County KK, among others. Bridges that cross the Pecatonica River and Jordan and Searles Creek are part of 66 in Green County that have significant wear with no funds in place for repairs, Narveson said.
Supervisors noted following required state regulations, such as engineering, would only add to the cost of work on these bridges. Displaying a photo of the underside of a structure on County T, Narveson said there was no choice regarding the bridge spanning roughly 20 feet.
"This one's got to be replaced next year, it's gotta," Narveson said. "Either that, or we close the road."