There is a relatively unfamiliar Wisconsin Law, which provides for municipal vehicle registration. Wisconsin Statute 341.35 allows a municipality, a town, village or city to enact an ordinance imposing an annual flat municipal registration fee on all motor vehicles registered in this state, which are customarily kept in the municipality. The municipal registration fee would apply only to an automobile or motor truck registered under s.341.25 (1) (c) at a gross weight of not more than 8,000 pounds and would be in addition to state registration fees. At the time a motor vehicle is first registered or at the time of registration renewal, the applicant shall pay to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation any fee imposed by a municipality under this section in addition to the state fees required under this chapter. The DOT annually remits those moneys collected under this section, less administrative costs, to any municipality, which has imposed a fee under this section.

How simple is that? The only catch with 341.35 is that sub (6r) says any municipality receiving moneys under 341.35 shall use the moneys only for transportation related purposes. I'm sure street repairs, new sidewalk installation and even the loss of parking revenue would all be related to transportation purposes.

I have no idea how many vehicles in Monroe would fall under this. The DOT could provide the information, but if it were, let's say, 7,000 and the municipal registration fee was $5 or $10, that would equate to $35,000 or $70,000. A $20 would be $140,000.

My point of this letter is to inform Monroe of another option to special assessments and transportation utilities that I've been reading about. My only intent of this letter is to be of service.