Grant County Independent Local Officials Talk Road Funding: Statewide forums discuss shortfalls in transportation budget

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1 TURNOUT FOR TRANSPORTATION MEDIA OVERVIEW PRINT, RADIO & TV October 12, 2016 Green Bay Press Gazette Local officials sound off over roadway funding woes October 10, 2016 Tri-County News (Kiel, WI) 2 dozen attend Turnout for Transportation The Chronotype (Rice Lake) Sen. Janet Bewley: It s long past time to fix it October 9, 2016 Waunakee Tribune Local officials demand funding for state s roads October 7, 2016 The Lakeland Times (Minocqua) Wisconsinites frustrated with lack of plan Dodgeville Chronicle Where the rubber hits the road Door County Pulse Municipalities Statewide Call for Road Funding October 6, 2016 Sun Prairie Star, Morona Cottage Grove, DeForest Times, Waterloo Marshall, McFarland Thistle, Waunakee Tribune, The Cambridge News & The Deerfield Independent Frustrations aired at Turnout for Transportation Milton Courier Rough Roads Ahead: Sustainable solutions sought for roads Sawyer County Record Cost of bridge, road improvements puts a stress on local governments Grant County Independent Local Officials Talk Road Funding: Statewide forums discuss shortfalls in transportation budget Dodge County Pioneer - October 6, 2016 Town Chairs, County Board Members Meet To Bring Attention To Road Funding Concerns

2 Courier Sentinel (Chippewa County) Road Maintenance Driving Topic in Statewide Turnout Medford Star News (Taylor County) Editorial: Legislature needs to be leader on transportation Plymouth Review (Sheboygan) Road woes detailed at special forum October 5, 2016 Sheboygan Press Officials urge state to increase road funding; Local leaders urge state legislature to develop road plan Medford Star News (Taylor County) Locals seek action from state on roads Adams-Friendship Times Reporter Just Fix It Meeting Held Colfax Messenger How will we fix our roads? DC participates in historic "Turnout for Transportation" Oconto County Reporter Local officials sound off over roadway funding woes October 4, 2016 Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter Buckley Opinion Piece: More funding needed for local roads Superior Telegram Rough Roads Need Fixing Pierce County Herald Stagnant fund increases don t fix crumbling roads October 3, 2016 Courier Press (Prairie du Chene) Meetings held in all 72 counties regarding road and bridge repair Lake Mills Leader First-Ever Council of Governments Meets Picked up from Daily Jefferson County Union 9/30/16

3 October 2, 2016 Chippewa Daily Herald Local consensus: Raise gas taxes to save local roads WTMJ NBC4 (Milwaukee) Charlie Sykes: Sunday Insight September 30, 2016 Janesville Gazette Extra Turnout for Transportation facilitates discussion on how to improve Wisconsin's roads Post Crescent (Appleton, Fox Cities) Officials seek long-term transportation plan Juneau County Star Times County leaders address ailing roads Daily Jefferson County Union First-ever Council of Governments meets - Officials share challenges Fond du Lac Reporter Road woes heard at Turnout for Transportation Sheboygan Press Meeting eyes road problems Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter Road funding draws fire at Manitowoc forum Kenosha News Area officials call for action to address road funding shortfalls: Many projects delayed as state DOT assistance dries up WSAU 550AM 99.9FM Wausau "Just Fix It" Meetings Across Wisconsin Portage Daily Register 'Just fix' roads? The devil is in the details Your Daily Globe (Ironwood MI) Iron officials search for fix to road funding issues City of Sheboygan Mayor's Blog: Mike Vandersteen Turnout for Transportation News Release on Wheeler Report Rep. Dianne Hesselbein to State Leaders: Fix the Roads or Take a Hike

4 September 29, 2016 Northlands News Center - KBJR & KDLH Television, Superior - Infrastructure forums held simultaneously across Wisconsin WBAY ABC (Green Bay) Transportation forum in Appleton calls on officials to fix roads We Are Green Bay WFRV Turnout for Transportation forums held around the state WMTV NBC15 (Madison) Dane County Turnout for Transportation highlights Verona Road construction project Fox 21 (Superior) Just Fix It Campaign Brings Awareness to Rising Transportation Costs in Wisconsin WEAU NBC13 (Eau Claire) Turnout for Transportation meetings held across Wisconsin WAOW ABC9 (Wausau) Transportation budget talks continue statewide WEAU NBC13 (Eau Claire) Kleefisch talks about transportation funding during UW-Stout visit Shawano Leader Shawano County Joins Call for Highway Funds The Monroe Times Money is root of transportation issues: Turnout for Transportation includes discussion of possible solutions September 28, 2016 WQOW ABC18 Eau Claire Turnout for Transportation event asks residents to weigh in on road projects La Crosse Tribune Forum highlights need to fix roads WJFW Rhinelander Transportation Development Association encourages people to "Turnout for Transportation" Thursday night 610-KDAL Duluth/Superior Douglas County Transportation Meeting

5 The Sheboygan Press Mike Vandersteen - Opinion piece: Turnout for Transportation WSAU (Wausau) Craig Thompson interview Baraboo News Republic Leaders lobby for road funding WEAU (Eau Claire) "Turnout for Transportation" event to take place in all 72 counties at same time Thursday September 27, 2016 Daily Jefferson County Union First Jefferson County Council of Governments meeting Thursday The Plymouth Review (Sheboygan County) County hosting Just Fix It transportation forum September 26, 2016 Baraboo News Republic Baraboo seeks changes in highway funding Portage Daily Register 'Turnout for Transportation' spotlights road-related issues Pierce County Herald Will Just Fix It bring relief to Wisconsin motorists? The Chippewa Herald Chippewa County forum spotlights road needs Northwoods Radio Lincoln County 'Turnout for Transporation' Town Hall

6 September 25, 2016 WKOW ABC (Madison) Craig Thompson interview on Capital City Sunday Peshtigo Times Transportation Meet at Crivitz Sept. 29 September 24, 2016 Door County Daily News "Turnout For Transportation" Forum Next Thursday To Address Future Road Issues WDOR Radio (Door County) Turnout for Transportation September 23, 2016 Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - Highways town hall event at Expo Superior Telegram Meeting encourages dialogue on state transportation issues September 22, 2016 The Sheboygan Press Highways town hall scheduled Milton Courier Turnout for Transportation calls for solutions WSAU (Wausau) Lincoln Co. Joins Road Funding Alliance Merrill Foto News Lincoln County signs on to Just Fix It campaign September 21, 2016 Lacrosse Tribune/Jackson County Chronicle Governor's transportation funding plan gets cool reception Republican Journal Leaders plan Statewide Transportation Event Price County Review Turnout for Transportation, biennial budget updates given September 19, 2016 La Crosse Tribune Roads require long-term solution

7 September 15, 2016 Winona Daily News Buffalo County signs on to 'Just Fix It' campaign, pressuring Walker to fund roads September 7, 2016 The Sheboygan Press Opinion piece - Michael Vandersteen: Ask candidates their legislative priorities ONLINE September 22, 2016 WisBusiness Press release posting September 19, 2016 InBusiness - Blaska s Bring It! Blog WisPolitics Calendar Listing Waushara County Dodge County Lincoln County Douglas County Fond du Lac County Green Lake County City of Bayfield Town of Sheridan Town of Cottage Grove Town of Rock Town of Rice Lake Town of Cross Town of Three Lakes Town of Goodman Monona East Side Business Alliance Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce MADRep (Madison Regional Economic Partnership) WAPA (Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association) WEDA (Wisconsin Economic Development Association) ACEC Wisconsin (American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin) Local 139

8 TURNOUT FOR TRANSPORTATION MEDIA DETAIL PRINT, RADIO & TV The Cambridge News & The Deerfield Independent - October 13, bb15f5f815c0.html Roads in Need of Funding Frustrations came to a head last week as local government leaders shared woes of crumbling roads and delayed highway projects, and urged state lawmakers to find sustainable funding for fixing and building Wisconsin roads. Organizers of the Turnout for Transportation meetings held throughout the state last Thursday, Sept. 29, said their goal was a unified call for lawmakers to end the transportation funding stalemate. Gov. Scott Walker said he will not raise gas taxes and vehicle registration fees to bring in more revenue and Republican lawmakers will not allow increase borrowing to pay for road projects. Because the recently released Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) budget proposes a $447.3 million cut in highway programs, a decline in overall spending and reduced borrowing, municipal leaders said they see no relief in sight. We are going backward. We can t continue to have delay, after delay, after delay. That is not the answer. We can t just continue putting a Band-aid on the problem, said Jerry Derr, Wisconsin Towns Association board member and Bristol Town Chairman. Town of Sun Prairie Chair Lyle Updike said it s been a challenge to maintain town roads that serve as major arteries for urban centers, specifically Bailey Road, which he said has become a South Beltline for motorists traveling to and from the growing City of Sun Prairie. Updike, along with other town leaders, said a shift from small farms to larger industrial farms is putting heavy machinery on rural roads that can t handle the weight. Some town leaders say they now post and enforce weight limits on its roads, restricting farming and industrial traffic. The proposed WisDOT budget includes a $88 per mile increase for towns. But local government leaders say while that s better than nothing, it doesn t catch up to years of neglect. Others shared examples of how deteriorating roads and delayed projects could hurt the economy. No. 1, companies are looking for employees, and No. 2 they are looking for a good transportation system, said Derr, who is also president of Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin -- a group of businesses, labor unions, citizen groups and government leaders, that hosted the Turnout for Transportation meetings across the state. The WisDOT budget cuts would delay several major highway projects across the state, locally that would include a two-year delay on widening the I-39/90 to six lanes from the Illinois state line to Madison. The Verona Road project would be pushed back two years -- something that an owner of nearby Quivey s Grove restaurant said is scaring off and closing businesses. I see this as anti-business, this inability to come to a sustainable funding solution, said Deidre Garton. Derr said delaying the projects would mean higher costs in the future and criticized the state s continued borrowing as a solution. We can t take 30 cents on every dollar to pay for roads that we have been driving on for years and are at the end of their life, Derr said. We wouldn t do that in our personal finances, and we shouldn t be doing that at the state level.

9 Walker showed his support for the WisDOT budget last week, saying that it funds the state transportation system, with a 5 percent aid increase for municipalities, and an 8 percent increase for counties. He said the borrowing was kept down to historic lows -- without raising taxes or user fees. Many said state lawmakers inability to develop a sustainable transportation funding solution is unacceptable, with a stalemate between the governor and Republican lawmakers. We have a governor drawing a line in the sand and another drawing a line the sand, and that is not how you solve a problem, said a Town of Cottage Grove supervisor. More than a handful of leaders at the meeting supported raising the gas tax and vehicle registration fees. I believe that the average citizen in the state wants their roads to be 21st-century roads and they are willing to pay for it, said Dane County Supervisor Dennis O Loughlin. City of Verona Mayor Tom Hochkammer said all options for funding should be considered and that representative should not put themselves in a box and only support one idea. Assembly Rep. Diane Hesselbein, the only state lawmaker attending last Thursday s meeting, said she sensed the continuing concerns. The message was loud and clear. Citizens need to tell state governments leaders, when it comes to roads, to fix it or take a hike, Hesselbein said. Organizers said the goal of the Turnout for Transportation meetings was to send a unified message to state lawmakers and the governor to fund and fix the state transportation system. We need to keep this bi-partisan, we can t blame the DOT, the governor or the lawmakers, all three need to cooperate, said Dan Bahr, government affairs associate for Wisconsin Counties Association. We need to keep the eye on the ball and don t get fixated on one issue. TDA organizers and representatives from the Wisconsin Towns Association, League of Wisconsin Municipalities and Wisconsin Counties Association urged members to contact their elected officials, and said they will prepare feedback from the meetings to send to state lawmakers as they start preparing the state biennial budget. The Daily Union - October 13, Milton to consider wheel tax City of Milton staff is recommending a $30 wheel tax. The recommendation was included in the 2017 preliminary budget presented to city council members by city administrator Al Hulick on Monday. State law allows a town, village, city or county to collect annual municipal or county vehicle registration fee (wheel tax) in addition to the vehicle registration fee paid to the state. If a wheel tax is approved by the city council, it would apply to autos and light trucks kept in the city. The wheel tax would not apply to motorcycles or motor homes. State law also exempts vehicles that have special plates including: farm truck, dual purpose farm truck, antique, collector, ex-prisoner of war (if issued without registration fee), historic military, hobbyist and medal of honor. Collector Special plates, however, are not exempt and would need to pay the wheel tax. Establishing a $30 wheel tax in the City of Milton would generate about $165,000 annually, Hulick said. That s based on the city having 5,600 cars and trucks that would qualify for a wheel tax. (The Wisconsin Department of Transportation collects wheel tax fees for municipalities and keeps 17 cents per vehicle.)

10 He acknowledged it s a bit strange that the city has more vehicles than people. WHY THE NEED? Though the wheel tax is controversial and often difficult to explain (people don t understand what they get out of it), Hulick said it is one last vestige of hope for a city that cannot increase taxes or borrow. The cost of doing business for a municipality is vastly outpacing the revenues we generate to pay for those costs, he continued. While numbers in the preliminary budget are likely to change, on Monday the budget was about $13,000 over the limit to qualify for an expenditure restraint payment from the state (estimated at $115,000). A wheel tax would not affect the expenditure restraint calculation. Hulick said in his opinion the preliminary budget shows a reduction in services, with the removal of about $30,000 in roadway supplies. To fund roadway improvements at the same level as in previous years ($55,000), we would need to find an additional $30,000 in cuts, he said. The wheel tax could solve that problem because the state requires wheel taxes to be used for transportation-related purposes, including road improvements. Why is city staff suggesting $30, rather than $10 or $20, which is what Janesville and Fort Atkinson have? A $10 wheel tax would generate about $55,000 for the city, but Hulick said the $55,000 previously budgeted for road improvements was not sustainable. We were fortunate we were able to use some alternate funding sources in the past couple years to fund various roadway improvements, he said. Chicago Street was funded through TIF. Merchant Row was funded partially through TIF partially through savings from another project. Parkview Drive was funded from a borrow. The goal of setting the wheel tax at $30 per vehicle (and generating $165,000) is to main current infrastructure, he said. The life of roads in fair condition could be extended with seal coating or a simple overlay, he said, so we re not faced with a major road reconstruction on an annual basis. Roadway repairs are among the costliest expenses municipalities face. For example, Hulick said Chicago Street, currently being resurfaced with a simple overlay, is about a third of a mile and costs about $130,000. He estimates: a simple surface overlay is about $90 a linear foot, a full overlay is about $180 per foot and full reconstruction is about $450. Once a road is at about a 5 on the 10-point PASER (pavement surface evaluation and rating) scale, he said, it starts deteriorating really quickly and repairs become more costly. Hulick presented to the city council a map of potential projects for They include Second Lane, which in 2016 was partially funded, Northside Drive, Woodcrest Lane, Chapel Drive and Woodland Drive. Those aren t necessarily the roads we should do. We wanted to illustrate in a visual way what we could do, he said, referring to how the city might use the $165,000 in If the city council passes a wheel tax, Hulick advised that the city develop a 10-year road improvement plan. City council president Maxine Striegl said she s received more complaints about roads than anything else. Referring to the wheel tax, she encouraged, We need to think about it. As for how long a wheel tax might be in place, Hulick said the city is not in a position to borrow for probably the next seven years.

11 The wheel tax would need to be in place in order for the city to stay on top of those roadway projects, he said. The city council could at any time vote to repeal the wheel tax. Council member Lynda Clark said, I believe our citizens want to keep our roads nice. For that reason, she said she would not be opposed to a wheel tax. City council member Dave Adams said, If you decide not to do this, you re going end up pushing off these road projects like the council did with building projects eight or nine years ago. You get to the point where you have to do something you can t afford to do because it s gotten so expensive. We don t want to get in that hole. Hulick noted the wheel tax would not have to be set at $30 it could be more or less. The council will continue discussing the 2017 budget at its Oct. 18 meeting (7 p.m. at city hall). Coulee News (La Crosse) - October 13, County looks at road fix options using borrowing La Crosse County Administrator Steve O Malley has prepared a 2017 county budget that keeps road work spending in the same lane it has been in. But he also has given La Crosse County Board members some other options should they want to get into the passing lane and catch up on ever-mounting road needs. O Malley s plans boil down to two options: gradually increasing annual county road project spending to $5 million with an annual levy increase of 1.5 percent to 3 percent or bumping up the road project budget to $5 million next year with a pay-as-you-go plan that would involve a one-time 15 percent in the levy. At Tuesday night s monthly planning meeting, O Malley gave board members an overview of his proposed 2017 budget, which keeps the tax rate at $3.89 per $1,000 in equalized property value while increasing spending for operations, library and debt service by a little less than 3 percent overall. This budget includes an increase in the tax levy for road work of $275,000 and a 7.5-year bond issue of $2.4 million. It doesn t get a lot of work done, but it does keep our head above water, O Malley said of his proposal for road work spending. While a coalition of organizations launched a Just Fix It campaign earlier this to pressure the state to increase funding for county and municipal roads, Gov. Scott Walker s proposed transportation budget offers only $127,000 in additional funding over two years for La Crosse County. While some legislators in the Republican majority have strongly called for a much bigger increase in state transportation funding, any increase in funding would need new revenue and a tax hike would have a hard time getting past Walker s veto pen. Even with a $127,000 biennial increase in state road aid, $2.4 million in new bonding and a $275,000 increase in the levy for county road work, 2017 would involve no progress in taking care of a an estimated $89 million in identified county road work needs. That to-do list includes 11 miles of county highway that basically need to be rebuilt, 13 miles that require major work and enhancements, 43 miles of resurfacing with asphalt overlays, and replacement of six culvertstyle bridges and 12 bridges that span 20 feet or more. And the thing is, county Highway Commissioner Ron Chamberlain said, by the time consideration of the 2018 budget rolls around, that to-do list will grow again. We re very good

12 at holding things together with Band-Aids, Chamberlain said, but the combination of state funding and status quo county funding doesn t get us there. State-mandated restrictions on county tax levy growth won t allow the county to just increase the general operating fund levy to address crumbling transportation infrastructure. The only way to do it is through borrowing as the state allows more leeway on growth in debt service spending. O Malley offered county board members three options to consider as they contemplate the 2017 budget, all of them involving using borrowing to help catch up on road projects. The option that would help the county catch up most quickly involves bumping the road project budget to $5 million next year and using short-term borrowing to pay for it. This pay-as-yougo option would increase the debt-service levy by 15 percent. It s obviously a very significant impact on the property tax levy, said O Malley, who noted that the increase in the debt-service levy would move the county out of the bottom 10 in the state for tax burden and into the middle of the pack, depending on whether any other counties take a similar approach. Have you factored in the cost of training in a whole new county board if we were to pass this, quipped board member Patrick Barlow. We know there are no easy solutions, O Malley said. We don t like you to have to be in a position where you don t have options. Another option would continue the county s use of long-term borrowing (typically a 7.5-year payback), with increases for five years of $500,000 per year, which would bring the total in annual road project borrowing to $4.9 million in This plan would involve a 1.5 percent annual increase in the debt levy and a lot more spending on interest costs than the short-term borrowing option. A third option also would involve increasing spending by $500,000 per year for five years, but that increase would take the form of short-term borrowing, gradually decreasing the long-term borrowing to nothing in This option would increase the debt service levy by 3 percent per year while reducing the reliance on higher-interest, long-term debt. Chamberlain said $5 million a year for road projects would mean the county could perform roadlife-extending maintenance beyond just filling cracks while getting caught up on reconditioning roads that have reached the end of their life spans. If the county board went with the $5 million pay-as-you-go plan, Chamberlain said his department could recondition 16.8 miles of road next year and a total of 80 miles through With both the options that increase road project spending by $500,000 per year, by comparison, the county could recondition 3.76 miles of road next year and a total of 54.3 miles through 2021, while the status quo levels of spending would pay for just under 3 miles next year, 40 miles in five years. The county would have to contract for a lot more projects if it were to spend $5 million a year, but O Malley said it s hard to say whether the big jump in available work could inflate contractors bids for county work as well as municipal road projects. With all the major road projects in the area being completed within the next 12 months, O Malley said, referring to work on I-90 and Hwys. 35 and 162, it could be argued that contractors will be looking for new work in the area to bid on. None of the county board members expressed a preference for one of the road spending options at Tuesday s meeting, but two members emphasized that something needs to be done.

13 There s such a clamoring for repairing local roads, said board member Maureen Freedland. We really have to be talking about stepping up and really being a little more assertive or brave than we have been in the past. Board member Tina Wehrs said she agreed with Freedland and applauded O Malley and Chamberlain for giving the board some options to look at. I actually feel like our constituents would thank us for talking about this issue and coming up with some solutions to address road needs. Road spending and the county budget, in general, will be discussed at county board committees over the next month, with a special Executive Committee meeting planned for Oct. 25 and a public hearing planned for Nov. 14. Final approval for the budget is slated for Nov. 15. Green Bay Press Gazette - October 12, Local officials sound off over roadway funding woes Officials from throughout Oconto County gathered last week as part of a statewide effort to galvanize support for significant spending increases to maintain and replace deteriorating roads. The lack of funds has slowed reconstruction in many towns and villages to a pace where improving every mile of a municipality s roads would take anywhere from 50 to 100 years. In the last five years, the town of Breed has not paved more than a half-mile, because that s all it could afford, said chairman Dick Vandewettering. This year, our intent was to pave a mile and a half, he said. (Then) we had seven culverts fail, and while replacing several of them, we found two more (that were) gone. Those will have to wait to spring. That s the way it s going to have to be. Without added money coming from someplace, how can you possibly gain (headway)? Oconto County Highway Commissioner Pat Scanlan noted that with 59 miles of roadway in the town of Breed, it would take 118 years to update all of the town s pavement. We need to know the funding will be there for us, he said. We struggle with it at the county. We have a five-year plan, and we don t know what we re going to have for money next year, let alone five years from now. We need to get the message across that it s hard, said Scanlan, who moderated the session at the courthouse on Sept. 29. The meeting and others like it in virtually every county that night was part of the Just Fix It campaign, initiated several months ago by the Transportation Development Association, an alliance of 400 stakeholders in the state s transportation network. The Turnout for Transportation sessions were intended to focus public attention on road problems and pressure the state Legislature to take action. They were held exactly two weeks after Gov. Scott Walker released his transportation spending plan for the next biennium starting July 2017, which he touted provided more funding for local government, including a 25 percent increase in the Local Roads Improvement Program. Some major projects were slowed, but others in Milwaukee, the Madison area and Appleton, are funded. Walker said his plan does all of this while keeping borrowing at historically low levels and holding true to our pledge to not increase the tax burden on our citizens. The governor has steadfastly opposed tax increases to pay for additional roadwork, saying the Wisconsin s gas tax has long been among the highest in the nation.

14 Several of the local officials at the Oconto County meeting, however, said increasing gas tax is the best way to address the funding shortfall. Two cents, a nickel, I mean, we paid $4 for gas, and we ll probably pay for it again, but let s do it now while the prices are low, said Dennis Kroll, a town of Chase supervisor who also serves on the County Board. We ve got to raise gas tax, license fees, whatever, said Doug Allen, a town of Little Suamico supervisor. Either the local people are going to have to pay the freight, or it s going to be on property taxes, one or the other, he added. Scanlan, who is also chairman of the town of Oconto, said the local funding increases don t make up for reductions in previous years. If you factor in the cost-of-living adjustments, we re kind of back to square one, where we were 10 years ago, he said. While he appreciates the additional funding, Scanlan added that they were only possible because of cuts in other transportation program. That s fine today, but what happens two years, three years, four years from now where s that money going to come from? he said. And that s what this about, we need to find a source that is sustainable that allows us to get our projects planned out in the future. We want to do the right thing, he continued, but it s very hard to dump your entire budget into a section of road, when you got another 50 miles that are just as bad. Village of Suring president Jay Tousey pointed to the county s half-cent sales tax, which he said was intended to pay for the courthouse addition 25 years ago, but was continued and used for other spending instead of being eliminated. We as town officials should rally the troops and come down here with pitchforks and everything else and tell the county board we want that money for. infrastructure for our roads, Tousey said. The local officials cited several factors contributing the problem, including: More vehicles on the road than ever, but are increasingly efficient, meaning gas tax revenue is not keeping up. The state stopped indexing the gas tax 11 years ago, so revenues have fallen behind in that regard as well. Increased traffic. Town of Little Suamico president Elmer Ragen said some of their roadways are carrying up to 2,800 vehicles a day. They re taking an awful beating, he said. Heavier agriculture equipment and trucks hauling milk and manure, or just being moved for field work. Some of these town roads, they re fine for an old pickup or small tractor going down the road, but with today s equipment and vehicles, they re exposing all our weaknesses, Scanlan said. As the business grows, the traffic grows, these roads simply can t tolerate that type of traffic anymore. The bases of many roads are now 50 years old or older, and are past their expected life, but fully rebuilding each mile of road can cost well over $100,000 and can approach a half million dollars. But all most local governments can afford is to blacktop or chip-seal them, which Tousey called a Band-Aid. In five years, the same cracks and pot holes will be back, he said. It looks nice for a few years, but it s not the real thing.

15 Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, the co-chairman of the Joint Finance Committee, attended the Oconto County meeting. He said legislators were to attend the meetings in other counties. Nygren said the road issue has been building for 15 to 20 years, with funding $939 million behind, based on all the projects that could be completed, he said. In three years, that could be $1.3 billion if progress isn t made to start catching up, Nygren said. The issue has opened a rift among Republicans in Madison. A few days after Walker released his transportation plan, Nygren and other Assembly leaders said they would hold hearings on the state s transportation needs to develop their own plan, which are expected before the end of the year. The governor can say we live within our means, but one thing we know for sure is that these projects aren t going to go away and will be at higher cost in coming years, Nygren said. Nygren, however, stopped short of endorsing a particular way to increase funding. I ve never supported a tax increase, and I m not saying I do now, he side, adding that a tax also paid by visitors from out-of-state makes more sense. He later acknowledged that the responsible thing is to raise our revenues, but how you do it is open for discussion. In a letter to Assembly Speak Robin Vos, Walker urged the Legislature to come up with ideas but reiterated his opposition to tax hikes. I believe we can agree that we did not get elected as conservatives to raise taxes or fees, Walker wrote. To the local governments, transportation is a bipartisan issue, Scanlan said. We need to let our representation know we got to carry that message back (to them), he said. We ve never at local level made any of this political, and we want to keep it that way. Town of Bagley chairman Greg Lechleitner said there s a correlation between less money for roads and less money for public schools, many of which are utilizing referendums to increase tax levy beyond the state limit. Borrowing money can t be an option though, he said, because the next generation would bear the cost. A gas tax (increase) would be the answer, but (Walker) doesn t want to raise any tax, Lechleitner said. It s got to be paid for. The state s going to have to decide, do we want to buckle down and actually raise taxes or we just going to stay status quo because we promised 10 years ago we weren t going to raise taxes ever, and all it does is dig us deeper and deeper in a hole? Tri-County News (Kiel) - October 10, Transportation/1/1/ dozen attend Turnout for Transportation Calumet County Highway Commissioner Brian Glaeser thanked the nearly two dozen people who attended the Turnout for Transportation meeting held Thursday evening at the Calumet County Courthouse. Citing the uniqueness of the meeting, Glaeser said, Never have all levels of local government across the state met at the same time to discuss the same issue. This is a unique opportunity for us to have a discussion within our community for all aspects of our transportation system.

16 Glaeser played a short video that featured Jerry Deschane, Executive Director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Mike Koles, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Towns Association, and Mark O Connell, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Counties Association. O Connell stated, If our state s economy is going to be successful, if we re going to have a successful state for our children and grandchildren and generations beyond us to want to live, work and play, then one of the most critical elements necessary for that to occur is our infrastructure. He went on to recognize the need for the meeting now, because of the universal recognition that we ve got an infrastructure challenge in our state, and it s got to be addressed. We can t go on like we re going on now. The Chronotype (Rice Lake) - October 10, Sen. Janet Bewley: It s long past time to fix it I can t remember who it was, or what meeting I was at, but I can still hear the frustration in the man s voice as he spoke about the terrible state of the roads he drives on to get to and from work. Something about the way he said It s long past time to fix it, stuck with me. Simple and to the point, a perfect example of the kind of common sense so often missing down in Madison. Like many others across Northern Wisconsin, I spent last Thursday night meeting with business leaders, local officials and citizens to talk about the need to finally take action to start rebuilding our state s infrastructure, especially local roads and bridges. It s not like this is a problem we don t know how to solve. The issue has been studied, reports have been issued, and recommendations have been put forth. People gathered in 70 of the State s 72 Counties to send the same message to Madison it s time to fix our roads. Storms this past summer have only made the problems worse. You ve passed the twisted hulks of culverts that have been removed and replaced, waited on flagmen and women protecting road crews and navigated carefully between washed out shoulders. People in Southern Wisconsin have a hard time imagining the magnitude of the challenge our local crews face and the tremendous amount of work they ve done helping us all get back to normal. I want to join many people across our district in thanking the local Emergency Management, Public Works and Highway crews for the work they are still doing to get our roads up and running before winter returns all too soon. But as your State Senator I know we need to do much more than just thank these hard-working men and women. We need to back that up by bringing more of our tax dollars home for local roads. I was encouraged to see an increased focus on supporting local roads in the budget request the Governor and Department of Transportation announced last month. Unfortunately, it s not enough. My Republican colleagues in the Assembly have stated that all options need to be on the table for Transportation funding. I couldn t agree more. And I know we can t start a conversation empty-handed. That s why I recently circulated a bill that would allow us to make long overdue investments in rebuilding our roads and bridges. My proposal would bring home $209 million dollars that are currently being taken from working taxpayers pockets and handed to a small group of extremely wealthy individuals. Eliminating a tax break that rewards people for not creating jobs would allow us to double local road aids for Counties and increase aids to our Municipalities by a third.

17 I know my bill is a long shot. But I believe it is a good faith effort to find a way to effectively use limited resources in a way that supports our economy. I look forward to the give and take on this and other proposals. Although I can t remember who said it s long past time to fix it," I do know he s not alone. Just this week my legislative office received a message from a coalition of business leaders that noted, very accurately, The three pillars of Wisconsin's economy are manufacturing, agriculture and tourism; and all three pillars depend on good, safe roads. Without a modern, efficient transportation development and funding plan, all current and future economic development initiatives are in jeopardy." They re absolutely right. Let s get to work. The Lakeland Times (Minocqua) - October 7, Wisconsinites frustrated with lack of plan The Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin is praising the Wisconsin Counties Association, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, and the Wisconsin Towns Association for helping to facilitate what it called a historic event last Thursday evening. "Turnout for Transportation" focused the spotlight on a single issue across the state - transportation. Thousands of city, county, town and village officials from all 72 counties in Wisconsin, plus members of the business community and the public, gathered at 70 community forums to discuss critical projects and services in each region and the need for the state to find a sustainable solution to Wisconsin's transportation challenge. "I was blown away by the level of participation and interest from local officials and their constituents around this state," said Craig Thompson, executive director of the Transportation Development Association. "The amount of frustration it takes to motivate people to pull off an event like this - a first-of-its-kind statewide meeting - is really telling." Turnout for Transportation is part of the Transportation Development Association's "Just Fix It" campaign that started last year. The purpose of the campaign is to facilitate a statewide dialogue about the condition of Wisconsin's infrastructure and the impact on Wisconsin residents and businesses. "I was also taken aback by how broadly citizens are looking at this issue," said Thompson. "They want a plan for the entire system, a sustainable solution. I think that came through loud and clear." Dodgeville Chronicle - October 7, Where the rubber hits the road Over a dozen officials from municipalities across Iowa County gathered at the Health and Human Services Building Thursday night to continue discussion on Wisconsin's current transportation and infrastructure downfalls. The Iowa County meeting took place in conjunction with "Turnout for Transportation" meetings across all 72 counties in Wisconsin, with all meetings jointly organized by the Wisconsin Counties Association, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Towns Association and the Wisconsin County Highway Association. Iowa County highway commissioner Craig Hardy opened the meeting with a video featuring comments from representatives from each contributing organization.

18 According to Mark O'Connell, executive director of the Wisconsin Counties Association, there has never been an event like this one, where officials were meeting on the same night and discussing the same topic across the state. "I think the reason it is occurring now is because of the universal recognition that we've got an infrastructure challenge in our state, and it's got to be addressed," O'Connell said in the video. "We can't go on like we're going on now." "If our state's economy is going to be successful, if we're going to have a successful state where our children and grandchildren and generations beyond us want to live, work and play, then one of the most critical elements necessary for that to occur is our infrastructure," O'Connell continued. "Tonight's conversation is about just that." Hardy pulled up a Powerpoint presentation and began breaking down the numbers of the state budget proposal for There will be no tax or fee increases in the transportation budget, but there will be a $65 million increase in local aids, he said. Unfortunately, that equates to an increase of only $75,000 for Iowa County for their General Transportation Aid (GTA) and a $19,000 increase for their participation in the Local Roads Improvement Program (LRIP). The $65 million increase in local aids also includes a $5 million increase to the Local Bridge Program, in which 343 applications for projects were collected in the last cycle of the program. One hundred seventy four projects were awarded funding, splitting a total of $50.7 million. A proposed $447.4 million cut to capital expenditures in the Highway Improvement Program could cause delays to several state projects, Hardy said, including Verona Road in Madison and the Zoo Interchange in Milwaukee. The Iowa County Highway Department is struggling with three main issues, Hardy continued. The increasing costs of business, stagnant revenues and the juggling of fund priorities all affect what projects can be completed each year. He pointed to and explained several line graphs depicting rising costs of asphalt oil, road oil, sealcoat surface treatment, highway equipment and fringe benefits for highway employees. Asphalt oil prices have skyrocketed since 1999, Hardy said, as have road oil (sealcoat oil) prices. In 1999, sealcoating a road cost $6,314 per mile; in 2012, sealcoating costs jumped to $13,868 per mile. The top three sources of revenue for the Iowa County Highway Department include the local tax levy (at about 33% of the yearly budget), vehicle registration fees (at about 26% of budget) and the state Routine Maintenance Agreement (RMA), at about 14% of budget. Even with the recently imposed $20 county-wide vehicle registration fee, or wheel tax, revenues are still not where they need to be. About $400,000 was raised last year through the implementation of the fee; the majority of the funds raised went to provide a local match for state programs such as the LRIP. "We are in no way, shape or form doing what we should be doing for preventative maintenance," Hardy commented, refering to the growing infrastructure problems around the county. According to Hardy, Iowa County is almost 71 miles overdue for sealcoat improvements based on a 10 year cycle. Iowa County is currently improving 22 miles of road per year, even though the recommended target remains at 36 miles improved per year. At this rate, the county is falling behind by 15 miles per year, Hardy said. Although it varies annually, the county needs approximately $1.4 million per year to keep up with preventative maintenance. That budget sits at $750,000 on average each year, and has stayed that way for the past few years. It is a shortfall of $650,000.

19 The county is also backlogged on capital improvement construction, with the backlog growing by three and a half miles per year every decade. The annual road construction improvement program should be budgeted at just over $1 million each year, Hardy added, but in the 2014 budget, it equated to only $123,000. "The problem is the amount of mileage being deferred in both programs," Hardy said. He explained several county bridge projects that will be delayed and split into multiple years, including the County G bridge, two projects on County K, County HH bridge, County H bridge and a County E bridge, with many of the projects being delayed until 2020 or An additional five bridge projects on backlog in the county total nearly $4 million. Hardy also presented a list of road projects that are currently in backlog, totalling miles and $26.4 million. "I think the county is in much more dire straights than we are," John Hess, chairman of the Town of Wyoming and Iowa County unit chairman of the Wisconsin Towns Association said. "It's staggering what needs to be done." He encouraged town officials in attendance to share their stories in their own municipalities, and document them on the Turnout for Transportation website. Hess shared a letter he penned to Governor Scott Walker, expressing his infrastructure concerns for the Town of Wyoming. He used the Town of Wyoming as an example of the need for adequate and increased transportation funding. "We're broke," shared David Lucey, Town of Arena board chair. He explained that the township implemented its own wheel tax last year, an additional $20 on top of the county-wide tax. It generated an additional $15,000 for the township, he said. The township has also been discussing converting some roads back to gravel to save on costs. Supervisor Dave Gollon, who represents District 6 (which includes parts of Dodgeville township, Mineral Point township and the City of Dodgeville), spoke against turning town roads back to gravel to save money. He voiced his concerns about decreasing land values, and increased maintenance on vehicles that utilize those roads. Supervisor Curt Peterson, who represents District 7 (which includes parts of Dodgeville township, Ridgeway township, Wyoming township and the City of Dodgeville), expressed his support in raising the state's gas tax. Outside visitors to the state could be helping us improve roads with an increase in the gas tax, he said. But that alone "isn't going to solve the problem," he admitted. Supervisor Ron Benish of District 5, covering areas in the township and village of Highland, agreed with Peterson, stating he is not one for taxes and fees, but it might be time to bite the bullet on raising the gas tax. At the conclusion of the meeting, Hardy and Hess both encouraged town officials to contact their local legislators and representatives and to also record their stories on the Turnout for Transportation website. "We've gathered together to share our concerns tonight and now we have to be effective with who we represent," Hess said. County administrator Larry Bierke added that he would like to see a follow-up meeting in the future as preparation of the state budget proceeds. Do you drive on a road that is in bad shape? Do you have your own concerns about transportation and infrastructure? Share your story at by following the "Story Sharing Platform Instructions" listed under Resources.

20 Door County Pulse - October 7th, Municipalities Statewide Call for Road Funding State legislators should be getting an earful about bad roads and the need for a better transportation plan from municipal leaders throughout the state. Aging roadways and culverts, a lack of money to fix them, political maneuvering, unfunded mandates and an onslaught of CAFO manure trucks in Southern Door that crush perfectly good roadways without accountability were just some of the issues that came out at the Door County Turnout for Transportation meeting on Sept. 27. Initiated by the Transportation Development Association, similar meetings were held across the state at the same time for municipal officials to share road horror stories in their communities and learn about problems with the proposed Wisconsin Department of Transportation budget. The ultimate goal, explained Door County Highway Commissioner John Kolodziej, is to develop a long-term sustainable solution to our transportation problems instead of the continued application of Band-Aids. Kolodziej co-hosted the meeting with Roy Englebert, who was representing the Wisconsin Towns Association and who also serves as a county board supervisor and chair of the Town of Forestville. The meeting was kicked off with a video presentation featuring the executive directors of the Wisconsin Towns Association, the Wisconsin County Highway Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities talking about the importance of the state s roadways to economic development. They pointed out that under current funding structures, municipalities can t afford to repair their roads, and for too long they ve relied on patch jobs that are no better than putting lipstick on the pig. They added that this historic meeting being held at the same time in locations across the state was called to get the ears of legislators on this subject and come to a solution in the next budget because there is a consensus that something needs to be done. After the video, Kolodziej said it was time to gather local stories about bad roads and become the squeaky wheel in all of this. Kolodziej pointed out that in his directive to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in preparing its biennium budget, Gov. Scott Walker ordered no tax increases, while increasing local maintenance and general transportation aids. The agency conformed to the governor s directives and provided a budget that includes what was referred to as the good, the bad and the ugly: The good: Increased spending for local governments, although the increases in most cases are minimal. For example, the town of Forestville will see a $3,900 increase and Liberty Grove $9,000. The bad: No revenue enhancement to stabilize the state s segregated transportation system fund and lower total spending for the two-year period, $6.5 billion versus $6.8 billion in the current budget. Kolodziej said Assembly leadership would like to generate revenues for the transportation fund but the Senate has been silent on the subject. Englebert told the audience that the meeting had been called not to talk about solutions, but to air problems in individual municipalities. He began by talking about a problem his community began experiencing about 10 years ago with the expansion of CAFOs in neighboring Kewaunee County. With the constant flow of 80,000- to 100,000-pound semi-trucks carrying CAFO manure, roads that were in excellent shape and that should have had a long life ahead of them are now deteriorating due to the heavy traffic.

21 Englebert mentioned a half-mile road in Forestville that was destroyed in a day and a half when 22 semis were hired to haul 300 loads. The town board voted to make that a Class B road so they can only haul 48,000 pounds on it, he said. That s the only thing we can do to help ourselves and protect our roads a little bit longer. Englebert told the group that each semi does as much damage as 9,000 passenger cars. Asked if the truckers or CAFOs could be held accountable for repairing the roads they are ruining, Kolodziej said they would respond with That s why we are paying road taxes. Randy Halstead, a county supervisor and chair of the Town of Jacksonport, reported that his community is plagued with roads that are 40 and 50 years old and that now are breaking up and becoming potholed. Steve Sohns, a county supervisor and member of the Gibraltar Town Board, said the big question in his community is what is underneath the roads. In Gibraltar s case, he said old stone fences make up the road base. Dan Cihlar, chair of the Town of Sturgeon Bay board, said the town s annual $100,000 road budget is far short of what the town needs for road reconstruction. He said the last reconstruction the town did was the mile-long Ridge Road, and that took two years because the town could not afford to do the entire project in one year. Bud Kalms, town clerk of Liberty Grove, said with 101 miles of road in the town, they are lucky to get a mile of road paved in a given year, adding that the extra $9,000 from the state will not amount to much. It would be nice for something to happen here, he said. Josh VanLieshout, the City of Sturgeon Bay s administrator, said this has been a painful issue for the city, especially since 2011 when the state disallowed municipalities from hiring county crews to do the work. Up until that time, VanLieshout said, We were able to use the county to compete against our one private contractor. He said since that happened, it drove the city s street repair costs up by a substantial margin. He added that while the city has the ability to levy special assessments for road repairs, doing it for streets is an unappealing and unattractive solution when everyone uses the streets. We re stuck and we need some help. Englebert suggested that all the municipal officials in attendance take pictures of their bad roads and post the photos and stories online at the Transportation Development Association s Just Fix It gallery (tdawisconsin.org/just-fix-it-wisconsin), and all were asked to contact their legislators about road funding woes. Why the Freeways in SE Wisconsin Matter Southeast freeways are critical to statewide commerce and employment. Twenty percent of Wisconsin jobs are within two miles of one of the Southeast freeways corridor. Forty-three percent of the state s cargo moves in and out of the region on those corridors. Modernizing the freeways will improve safety and reduce crashes by between 15 and 50 percent. These 60-year-old freeways are at the end of their useful lives. End-of-life patches will last only five to eight years, providing diminished returns. Delaying construction will cost more than $1 billion in additional maintenance costs and user delays. Eventually, these freeways will be reconstructed at a significantly higher cost.

22 Sun Prairie Star - October 6, 2016 Also appeared in Morona Cottage Grove, DeForest Times, Waterloo Marshall, McFarland Thistle, Waunakee Tribune, The Cambridge News & The Deerfield Independent df65b280f310.html Frustrations aired at Turnout for Transportation Frustrations came to a head last week as local government leaders shared woes of crumbling roads and delayed highway projects, and urged state lawmakers to find sustainable funding for fixing and building Wisconsin roads. Organizers of the Turnout for Transportation meetings held throughout the state last Thursday, Sept. 29, said their goal was a unified call for lawmakers to end the transportation funding stalemate. Gov. Scott Walker said he will not raise gas taxes and vehicle registration fees to bring in more revenue and Republican lawmakers will not allow increase borrowing to pay for road projects. Because the recently released Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) budget proposes a $447.3 million cut in highway programs, a decline in overall spending and reduced borrowing, municipal leaders said they see no relief in sight. We are going backward. We can t continue to have delay, after delay, after delay. That is not the answer. We can t just continue putting a Band-aid on the problem, said Jerry Derr, Wisconsin Towns Association board member and Bristol Town Chairman. Town of Sun Prairie Chair Lyle Updike said it s been a challenge to maintain town roads that serve as major arteries for urban centers, specifically Bailey Road, which he said has become a South Beltline for motorists traveling to and from the growing City of Sun Prairie. Updike, along with other town leaders, said a shift from small farms to larger industrial farms is putting heavy machinery on rural roads that can t handle the weight. Some town leaders say they now post and enforce weight limits on its roads, restricting farming and industrial traffic. The proposed WisDOT budget includes a $88 per mile increase for towns. But local government leaders say while that s better than nothing, it doesn t catch up to years of neglect. Others shared examples of how deteriorating roads and delayed projects could hurt the economy. No. 1, companies are looking for employees, and No. 2 they are looking for a good transportation system, said Derr, who is also president of Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin -- a group of businesses, labor unions, citizen groups and government leaders, that hosted the Turnout for Transportation meetings across the state. The WisDOT budget cuts would delay several major highway projects across the state, locally that would included a two-year delay on widening the I-39/90 to six lanes from the Illinois state line to Madison. The Verona Road project would be pushed back two years -- something that an owner of nearby Quivey s Grove restaurant said is scaring off and closing businesses. I see this as anti-business, this inability to come to a sustainable funding solution, said Deidre Garton. Derr said delaying the projects would mean higher costs in the future and criticized the state s continued borrowing as a solution. We can t take 30 cents on every dollar to pay for roads that we have been driving on for years and are at the end of their life, Derr said. We wouldn t do that in our personal finances, and we shouldn t be doing that at the state level.

23 Walker showed his support for the WisDOT budget last week, saying that it funds the state transportation system, with a 5 percent aid increase for municipalities, and an 8 percent increase for counties. He said the borrowing was kept down to historic lows -- without raising taxes or user fees. Many said state lawmakers inability to develop a sustainable transportation funding solution is unacceptable, with a stalemate between the governor and Republican lawmakers. We have a governor drawing a line in the sand and another drawing a line the sand, and that is not how you solve a problem, said a Town of Cottage Grove supervisor. More than a handful of leaders at the meeting supported raising the gas tax and vehicle registration fees. I believe that the average citizen in the state wants their roads to be 21st-century roads and they are willing to pay for it, said Dane County Supervisor Dennis O Loughlin. City of Verona Mayor Tom Hochkammer said all options for funding should be considered and that representative should not put themselves in a box and only support one idea. Assembly Rep. Diane Hesselbein, the only state lawmaker attending last Thursday s meeting, said she sensed the continuing concerns. The message was loud and clear. Citizens need to tell state governments leaders, when it comes to roads, to fix it or take a hike, Hesselbein said. Organizers said the goal of the Turnout for Transportation meetings was to send a unified message to state lawmakers and the governor to fund and fix the state transportation system. We need to keep this bi-partisan, we can t blame the DOT, the governor or the lawmakers, all three need to cooperate, said Dan Bahr, government affairs associate for Wisconsin Counties Association. We need to keep the eye on the ball, Bahr added, and don t get fixated on one issue. TDA organizers and representatives from the Wisconsin Towns Association, League of Wisconsin Municipalities and Wisconsin Counties Association urged members to contact their elected officials, and said they will prepare feedback from the meetings to send to state lawmakers as they start preparing the state biennial budget.

24 Milton Courier - October 6, Rough Roads Ahead: Sustainable solutions sought for roads Road reconstruction, repair and maintenance were the topics of discussion at a countywide Turnout for Transportation held Sept. 29 at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport in Janesville. The meeting attended by about 50 people was one of about 70 held simultaneously statewide. Rock County Department of Public Works Director Benjamin Coopman, Jr., described it as a historic event, focused on bringing those in charge of the statewide (roads) transportation network together to show solidarity. The hope they have is for sustainable solutions that will fill the ever-growing budgetary gap between what it costs to maintain roads versus monies for such purposes included within Gov. Scott Walker s proposed new biennium budget. Turnout for Transportation was organized by three groups: the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Counties Association, and Wisconsin Towns Association, and was led locally by Coopman, Janesville City Manager Mark Freitag, and Town of Porter supervisor and president of the Rock County Towns Association Phil Hamilton. A brief video kicked off the event and featured organization leaders: Executive Director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Jerry Deschane, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Towns Association Mike Koles, and Wisconsin Counties Association Executive Director Mark O Connell. The statewide initiative is further packaged under the brand, Just Fix It, which comes with a website providing mechanisms through which constituents can make their concerns known to state officials. Deschane, Koles and O Connell expressed during the video, the gravity of their concern for Wisconsin s roadways. According to Deschane, the goal of the statewide forum was: to work together to come to a lasting solution for Wisconsin s transportation system. Koles said, It is incumbent upon all of us to invest in a sustainable solution for the economy and safety of Wisconsin O Connell added, If we re going to have a successful state where our children and grandchildren and generation beyond us want to live, work and play, then one of the most critical elements necessary for that to occur is our infrastructure. Said Deschane: Our transportation system is a system, it s not town roads here, county roads there, city streets there and interstates over there. It all hangs together. If the first mile doesn t work, the last mile doesn t work and all the miles in between don t work. What I m hearing from my members is that they don t have the long-term maintenance budget that they need. Preserving local roads is critical to our economic growth in Wisconsin, and right now, you have cities and villages out there that have enough money to patch over a water main break and that s it. Some of the roads that have been chip sealed two, three times, may actually be 80-year-old roads that have wood underneath, Koles said. That chip seal doesn t last nearly long enough to make that road a viable road for economic development and safety in Wisconsin, he said, adding, We need to have a discussion about what s underneath that pavement as well. We need to be good stewards, O Connell emphasized. There s a consensus that we re not keeping up with maintenance, there s a consensus that something needs to be done, Deschane said.

25 After the video, attendees were invited to share stories from their communities about the conditions of their roads and resources. The state s got a problem, and it s a sustainability problem, said Freitag. Many in attendance echoed that sentiment. Milton City Administrator Al Hulick said: I m sure I m preaching to the choir, but this is an important conversation for us to be having. Everything that we do is impacted by transportation funding. It is one of the most expensive things we do and it never goes away. It impacts our ability to provide services in other areas. Hulick said even with the modest increase proposed for Milton within the next budget, the money is only enough to cover band-aid solutions, coming most often in the form of chip seal, which, he said, could extend the life of a street, but was not a sustainable, long-term solution. Our costs are going up and our revenues are going down. Something s got to give, he said. Town of Harmony Chairman John Bergman said: In our town we have choices like are we going to rebuild roads in bad shape or use the money to improve all of our other roads? What compounds the whole issue is a lot of our roads are 30 to 40 years old and we can t keep repairing them. It comes to a point where a road simply needs reconstruction. We have several subdivisions right now that need a lot of work done in them. Last year, we had roads to fix but we were faced with a failed bridge so we had to push those back. Hamilton said while the proposed state budget shows an increase in general transportation aid (8.1 percent for counties, 6.3 percent for cities, and 2.5 percent for towns), it was still a relatively small amount as compared to the growing needs. In a follow-up interview, Hamilton said it costs about $83,000 per mile to do a blacktop overlay. The cost of chip seals vary widely, due to types of material used, but on average, it costs about a third of what it would cost to do an overlay. If the proposed budget passes, he said, we will be getting $88 more per mile. Sawyer County Record - October 6, Cost of bridge, road improvements puts a stress on local governments Sawyer County Highway Commissioner Gary Gedart wants a bridge with a higher load capacity than 35 tons over Chief River on Highway B, but there are no funds available in the foreseeable future. Several town chairs would like to asphalt more than one mile a year and not drain their budgets. And other town leaders are saying their strategy to respond to the high cost of road repair is to tear up paved roads and return to gravel. But others point out that gravel is not that cheap or that readily available. The above points were made at Turnout for Transportation gathering Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Sawyer County Courthouse in Hayward. The event was coordinated with 70 other similar meeting in other counties (Ashland and Bayfield counties held a joint meeting) around the state to hear concerns over the status of transportation infrastructure in Wisconsin. The League of Wisconsin Municipalities (LWM), Wisconsin Towns Association (WTA) and Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA) coordinated the meeting. Twenty-seven residents attended the Hayward meeting, including representatives of Sawyer County and 10 townships. Gedart represented both the county and the Town of Hayward. Other

26 town representatives were from Couderay, Draper, Lenroot, Meadowbrook, Meteor, Radisson, Round Lake, Spider Lake and Weirgor. Leading the discussion were Gedart and Mark Bartlett, chair of both the Town of Weirgor and Sawyer County Town s Association. Infrastructure challenge The meeting kicked off with a video explaining the purpose of the gathering. I think the reason it s occurring now is because of the universal recognition that we ve got an infrastructure challenge in our state, said Mark O Connell, executive director of WCA said from the video, and it s got to be addressed. We can t go on like we are going on now. Also speaking on the video, Jerry Deschane, executive director of LWM, said, the state s transportation system is connected by town, county, state and interstate roads. If the first mile doesn t work, the last mile doesn t work and the miles in between don t work, he said. O Connell said Interstate I-43 in Ozaukee County is so bad that drivers are using county roads to avoid it, resulting in more stress on county roads. Gov. Scott Walker has instructed the Department of Transportation (DOT) to craft its budget for the next biennium relying on existing gas tax and vehicle registration fees and to cut spending on big mega projects in the southeast portion of the state. The DOT is proposing an increase of local aid by $65 million, including $46 million in General Transportation Aids and $14 million in Local Road Improvement and $5 million for Local Bridge Improvement, along with a $33.7 million increase for Routine Maintenance Agreement. But the DOT is also proposing to cut $447 million in capital expenditures. The rate per mile increase for general transportation aids, Gedart said, from $2,202 to $2,290 a mile, is not a significant change. Everyone in this room knows that doesn t get you much, he said, adding that all the proposed increases do is put state funding back to where it was in Chief River Bridge Gedart would like to replace the Chief River Bridge on County Highway B, between County Highways A and CC, which is posted at 35 tons, with a bridge with a higher capacity for trucks over 70,000 pounds, such as logging trucks with full loads. By avoiding the Chief River Bridge, he said, those heavier vehicles are stressing other county roads and vehicles are having to go farther versus taking a direct route on B. However, complicating the bridge funding, he said, is that the federal sufficiency rating for Chief River is too high to make it eligible for more funding. What we have here is accelerated road deterioration on our county and local road systems as a result of this bridge and that is one of our main east-west corridors, Gedart said. I know people from Johnson Timber and the logging industry have quantified that. They ve calculated how much this is costing them. It s very expensive. This is something I would push for Sawyer County, and that would be my pet project, to get funding for that bridge because it s vital to our commerce here in Sawyer County. The county, Gedart said, is tapped out of entitlement dollars for bridges and the only hope for replacing Chief River is a new program initiated over a year ago to replace low-tonnage bridges. However, the DOT has yet to moved forward on that program. Township roads Like other towns, the roads are in such bad shape, you almost have to rebuild them before you can blacktop them, said Bartlett for the Town of Weirgor, and our plan is to get as many of

27 them blacktopped as possible. He added the town has borrowed funds for roads and that borrowing has raised taxes. The blacktop roads we have there now are just deteriorating so bad, said Ron Buckholtz, chair of the Town of Meadowbrook. He said the challenge is building roads that can withstand heavy farming equipment. Cliff Parr, supervisor for the Town of Weirgor, said he would like to replace the bridge on Polish Road, rated at 10 tons, because logging trucks are using it, but Gedart said the structure is not officially called a bridge because it is less than 20 feet long. Dale Olson, chair of the Town of Meteor, complained of the high cost of equipment. Gordon Christians, chair of the Town of Lenroot, said his town needs to gravel dirt roads used by logging trucks and he also complained of the high cost of equipment. County Supervisor Kathy McCoy, Town of Round Lake, said her town just paved its first road since 2003, a little over a mile at a cost of between $210,000 and $220,000. We keep seal coating and seal coating, but at some point how much seal coating can you put down and not address it? she said of her town roads. A representative from Town of Spider Lake said portions of Town Hall Road and Murphy Boulevard were sliding into the swamp. A common sentiment expressed by several town representatives is the cost of paving has risen dramatically from $25,000 a mile to closer to $125,000 a mile. Ed Peters, chair of the Town of Draper, said his town just finished resurfacing 1.5 miles and it took three years to get the road in proper shape just to resurface. He added 200 to 300 feet of north Clover Road had been under water from May 1 to mid- September and needed to be raised three feet. He offered a way to attract a crowd to a town meeting is to announce turning a dead-end back into a gravel road. Concerning gravel roads, Charlie Warmer, clerk for the Town of Couderay, said his town plans on turning more asphalt roads into gravel because the town s tax base is not sufficient to maintain asphalt. However, Ron Kinsley, a supervisor for the Town of Radisson and chair of the Sawyer County Board, asked, How do you find gravel after a while? Gravel is getting to be a premium and how far are you going to truck gravel to get it? Olson, who is also the Sawyer County Zoning administrator, suggested if more towns were going to use gravel the towns should consider more liberal conditions for gravel crushing operations. Highway 27/70 Gedart said he had talked to DOT officials about plans for state roads and was surprised that a portion of Highway 27/70 between Radisson and Ojibway that is in poor condition is not in the planning until You drive that portion of the road; it s not going to make it, Gedart said. Gedart said the state also has issues with Highway 27 north from the G2 gas station outside of Stone Lake. They don t know what to do with it, he said. It s falling apart. The state, he said, is emphasizing maintenance over construction to save dollars. For example, cost of crack sealing a mile is between $25,000 and $35,000, but adding two inches of asphalt with new signs is between $200,000 and $300,000. Political pressure needed Bartlett said transportation never used to be a political issue because both parties agreed on its importance. Now it has become political and people need to put pressure on elected legislators to address it.

28 How are we going to raise revenues? Gedart asked. No one wants to hear gas tax. Gedart added legislators have killed the idea of toll roads, but they are still toying with taxing based on user fees such as the number of miles driven. Hopefully, we will begin a statewide dialogue, Gedart said of addressing the transportation issues. Grant County Independent - October 6, 2016 Local Officials Talk Road Funding: Statewide forums discuss shortfalls in transportation budget

29 Dodge County Pioneer - October 6, 2016 Town Chairs, County Board Members Meet To Bring Attention to Road Funding Concerns

30 Courier Sentinel (Chippewa County) October 6, 2016 Road Maintenance Driving Topic in Statewide Turnout

31 Medford Star News (Taylor County) - October 6, 2016 Editorial: Legislature needs to be leader on transportation Our transportation system is a system. If the first mile doesn t work, the last mile doesn t work. With those words Lester Lewis of the Wisconsin Towns Association kicked off a two hour meeting on September 29 at the Taylor County fairgrounds that brought local elected offi cials from around the county to share the financial problems they have been having with keeping roads maintained. The meeting was a call for the legislature to do something about it. At the same time the meeting was taking place in Medford, meetings were taking place in 70 other counties around the state in a show of unified support for calling on the legislature to pass a sustainable transportation plan for the state. The meetings were organized by a partnership between the associations representing the counties, towns, villages and cities with Bayfield and Ashland counties holding a joint meeting. While these levels of government don t always see eye to eye on issues, when it comes to transportation they have presented a united front. Hopefully this is enough to spur the legislature into action, especially with the entire assembly up for reelection next month. The goal is to get enough legislators on board for a long range sustainable transportation funding plan in order to override Gov. Scott Walker s determined effort to set local road infrastructure back a half century. Walker is just the latest Wisconsin governor who wants to play a shell game when it comes to ensuring that the state s transportation network is well maintained. His predecessor Jim Doyle also routinely raided transportation funds. To Walker s credit he has repeatedly said he does not support increasing any taxes and has stood by this pledge. Unfortunately, what sounds good on the campaign trail does not always work as well in the economic reality of putting together a viable budget. Walker s transportation plan is to borrow money and not increase the amount available to cover that debt service. At the same time, the state-imposed spending freeze on all levels of government has made keeping the roads maintained a nearly impossible task. At last week s meeting in Medford and around the state, local elected leaders stood up and talked about having to turn blacktop roads back to gravel in order to have any hope of being able to maintain them. It is absurd that in the 21st century the number of miles of gravel roads in Wisconsin is growing rather than shrinking. Wisconsin s legislature needs to step up to the plate as they head back to work in January and toss aside Walker s short-sighted budget proposal and replace it with one that continues the needed state projects around large urban areas while also guaranteeing funding at the regional and local levels. This will require increases in the user fees people pay to drive on Wisconsin s roads. While it is never politically popular to raise taxes or fees, when it comes to the long term economic health of the state, it is an action the state must do now before even more roads are allowed to decay. Many legislators got their first taste of politics serving on local boards. They need to remember the importance the interconnected network of roads and highways is to the economic health of communities and of the state. If legislators want Wisconsin to stay open for business, they must fund roads built for 21st century vehicles, not the 19th century horses and wagons.

32 Sheboygan Press - October 5, Officials urge state to increase road funding; Local leaders urge state legislature to develop road plan Local officials are urging state leaders to increase road maintenance funding following reports that Wisconsin roads are among the worst in the nation. A proposed 2017 state budget does not increase revenue for road projects next year despite a U.S. Department of Transportation report that Wisconsin s roads rank the third worst in the nation. That s not a place we want to be when we talk about tourism and when we talk about manufacturing and getting people to work, Sheboygan Mayor Mike Vandersteen said. We need to have the state pay attention to those roads and get us out of the bottom of the barrel when it comes to funding for roads and the conditions that we have here for driving. Local leaders joined officials from counties across the state Sept. 29 by holding a forum to raise awareness of the road issue facing the state. The Turnout for Transportation meeting was part of the Transportation Development Association s Just Fix It campaign that aims to facilitate a statewide dialogue about the condition of Wisconsin s road infrastructure. The entire transportation system is an important network that we all rely on and it s critical the state step up and develop a sustainable solution (to maintain it), Sheboygan County Administrator Adam Payne said. While the proposed state budget does include some increase in aid to local governments, the result is state road projects will be further delayed leading local leaders to question the sustainability of such a plan. We question the sustainability of some of the local aid increase they are giving local governments, County Board Chairman Thomas Wegner said. The question is, how sustainable is that if you are putting off these major road projects that are going to, at some point, have to be dealt with? Local leaders pointed to Highway 23 as a perfect example of how delaying projects can lead to much higher costs in the long run. According to the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau, when the State Highway 23 project was first approved in 1999, the estimated cost was $42 million. Today, due to ongoing delays and inflation, the project is estimated to cost $146 million. That s a vivid example of what happens when you pass the buck and delay these projects, Payne said. In the mean time, we ve had accidents and people killed on that stretch of highway. The cost of maintaining roadways has gone up drastically in the last 10 years, but the state has not kept up on raising revenues to keep up with those costs. For example, the cost of overlay a mile of roadway in 2005 was $53,571, while that same mile of roadway costs $119,771 in 2015, according to statistics complied by Sheboygan County. The governor and state legislature appointed a commission to study the road issue during the biennium budget. The task force, which determined that state funding was not keeping up with deteriorating roads, recommended raising revenues such as the gas tax and vehicle registration fees, according to a 2013 "Keep Wisconsin Moving" report. However, state leaders have yet to enact those measures.

33 The same report notes the last time the Legislature voted to increase the state motor fuel tax was in In 2006, fuel tax indexing was also repealed, which resulted in the tax not increasing with inflation. Their very task force developed these recommendations that we re falling behind and it makes more sense to maintain our roads now then to have more expensive fixes down the road, Payne said. They developed recommendations to increase revenue, but unfortunately we haven t seen the political will to implement them, so roads continue to deteriorate and the expenses become more costly. Comparatively, Wisconsin's combined registration fee and gas tax is considerably less than neighboring states, the study showed. Vandersteen said he believes support is building in the state assembly to increase resources for state road projects, but the assembly and governor have yet to be convinced. "It s time to step up and have the courage to do something about it, Payne said. No one likes to see taxes or fees go up. It s tough politically to do, but in terms of being fiscally responsible and doing the right thing, sometimes you got to do it. The Star News (Medford) - October 5, Locals seek action from state on roads Just fix it. That was the underlying message from the nearly 50 area elected officials who attended the Turnout for Transportation meeting last week at the Taylor County community center in Medford. The meeting was an opportunity for local elected officials to express their frustrations with what they see as a lack of action by the state government in developing a sustainable transportation funding plan. The meeting was one of 71 held across the state on Sept. 29. Ashland and Bayfield counties held a joint meeting. It is not a partisan issue, it is a statewide issue, said Molitor chairman Lester Lewis speaking on behalf of the Wisconsin Town s Association. He said the lack of adequate funding for road maintenance efforts is being felt at all levels of government. He said town roads account for 60 percent of all road miles in the state. He said cities and villages have stalled on road projects but also have other expenses towns do not have and that the county s expense is having to build roads for heavy traffic. He said part of the problem in recent years has been the state allowing heavier and heavier vehicles to operate on the roads without giving the towns the ability to pay to maintain them. While he admits the recently introduced transportation budget crafted at the direction of Gov. Scott Walker includes some good news for local government, Lewis was quick to add that it doesn t solve the long term problems.

34 Adams-Friendship Times Reporter - October 5, 2016 Just Fix It Meeting Held

35 Colfax Messenger - October 5, 2016 How will we fix our roads? DC participates in historic "Turnout for Transportation"

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37 Oconto County Reporter - October 5, Local officials sound off over roadway funding woes Officials from throughout Oconto County gathered last week as part of a statewide effort to galvanize support for significant spending increases to maintain and replace deteriorating roads. The lack of funds has slowed reconstruction in many towns and villages to a pace where improving every mile of a municipality s roads would take anywhere from 50 to 100 years. In the last five years, the town of Breed has not paved more than a half-mile, because that s all it could afford, said chairman Dick Vandewettering. This year, our intent was to pave a mile and a half, he said. (Then) we had seven culverts fail, and while replacing several of them, we found two more (that were) gone. Those will have to wait to spring. That s the way it s going to have to be. Without added money coming from someplace, how can you possibly gain (headway)? Oconto County Highway Commissioner Pat Scanlan noted that with 59 miles of roadway in the town of Breed, it would take 118 years to update all of the town s pavement. We need to know the funding will be there for us, he said. We struggle with it at the county. We have a five-year plan, and we don t know what we re going to have for money next year, let alone five years from now. We need to get the message across that it s hard, said Scanlan, who moderated the session at the courthouse on Sept. 29. The meeting and others like it in virtually every county that night was part of the Just Fix It campaign, initiated several months ago by the Transportation Development Association, an alliance of 400 stakeholders in the state s transportation network. The Turnout for Transportation sessions were intended to focus public attention on road problems and pressure the state Legislature to take action. They were held exactly two weeks after Gov. Scott Walker released his transportation spending plan for the next biennium starting July 2017, which he touted provided more funding for local government, including a 25 percent increase in the Local Roads Improvement Program. Some major projects were slowed, but others in Milwaukee, the Madison area and Appleton, are funded. Walker said his plan does all of this while keeping borrowing at historically low levels and holding true to our pledge to not increase the tax burden on our citizens. The governor has steadfastly opposed tax increases to pay for additional roadwork, saying the Wisconsin s gas tax has long been among the highest in the nation. Several of the local officials at the Oconto County meeting, however, said increasing gas tax is the best way to address the funding shortfall. Two cents, a nickel, I mean, we paid $4 for gas, and we ll probably pay for it again, but let s do it now while the prices are low, said Dennis Kroll, a town of Chase supervisor who also serves on the County Board. We ve got to raise gas tax, license fees, whatever, said Doug Allen, a town of Little Suamico supervisor. Either the local people are going to have to pay the freight, or it s going to be on property taxes, one or the other, he added.

38 Scanlan, who is also chairman of the town of Oconto, said the local funding increases don t make up for reductions in previous years. If you factor in the cost-of-living adjustments, we re kind of back to square one, where we were 10 years ago, he said. While he appreciates the additional funding, Scanlan added that they were only possible because of cuts in other transportation program. That s fine today, but what happens two years, three years, four years from now where s that money going to come from? he said. And that s what this about, we need to find a source that is sustainable that allows us to get our projects planned out in the future. We want to do the right thing, he continued, but it s very hard to dump your entire budget into a section of road, when you got another 50 miles that are just as bad. Village of Suring president Jay Tousey pointed to the county s half-cent sales tax, which he said was intended to pay for the courthouse addition 25 years ago, but was continued and used for other spending instead of being eliminated. We as town officials should rally the troops and come down here with pitchforks and everything else and tell the county board we want that money for. infrastructure for our roads, Tousey said. The local officials cited several factors contributing the problem, including: More vehicles on the road than ever, but are increasingly efficient, meaning gas tax revenue is not keeping up. The state stopped indexing the gas tax 11 years ago, so revenues have fallen behind in that regard as well. Increased traffic. Town of Little Suamico president Elmer Ragen said some of their roadways are carrying up to 2,800 vehicles a day. They re taking an awful beating, he said. Heavier agriculture equipment and trucks hauling milk and manure, or just being moved for field work. Some of these town roads, they re fine for an old pickup or small tractor going down the road, but with today s equipment and vehicles, they re exposing all our weaknesses, Scanlan said. As the business grows, the traffic grows, these roads simply can t tolerate that type of traffic anymore. The bases of many roads are now 50 years old or older, and are past their expected life, but fully rebuilding each mile of road can cost well over $100,000 and can approach a half million dollars. But all most local governments can afford is to blacktop or chip-seal them, which Tousey called a Band-Aid. In five years, the same cracks and pot holes will be back, he said. It looks nice for a few years, but it s not the real thing. Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, the co-chairman of the Joint Finance Committee, attended the Oconto County meeting. He said legislators were to attend the meetings in other counties. Nygren said the road issue has been building for 15 to 20 years, with funding $939 million behind, based on all the projects that could be completed, he said. In three years, that could be $1.3 billion if progress isn t made to start catching up, Nygren said. The issue has opened a rift among Republicans in Madison. A few days after Walker released his transportation plan, Nygren and other Assembly leaders said they would hold hearings on the state s transportation needs to develop their own plan, which are expected before the end of the year.

39 The governor can say we live within our means, but one thing we know for sure is that these projects aren t going to go away and will be at higher cost in coming years, Nygren said. Nygren, however, stopped short of endorsing a particular way to increase funding. I ve never supported a tax increase, and I m not saying I do now, he side, adding that a tax also paid by visitors from out-of-state makes more sense. He later acknowledged that the responsible thing is to raise our revenues, but how you do it is open for discussion. In a letter to Assembly Speak Robin Vos, Walker urged the Legislature to come up with ideas but reiterated his opposition to tax hikes. I believe we can agree that we did not get elected as conservatives to raise taxes or fees, Walker wrote. To the local governments, transportation is a bipartisan issue, Scanlan said. We need to let our representation know we got to carry that message back (to them), he said. We ve never at local level made any of this political, and we want to keep it that way. Town of Bagley chairman Greg Lechleitner said there s a correlation between less money for roads and less money for public schools, many of which are utilizing referendums to increase tax levy beyond the state limit. Borrowing money can t be an option though, he said, because the next generation would bear the cost. "A gas tax (increase) would be the answer, but (Walker) doesn t want to raise any tax, Lechleitner said. It s got to be paid for. The state s going to have to decide, do we want to buckle down and actually raise taxes or we just going to stay status quo because we promised 10 years ago we weren t going to raise taxes ever, and all it does is dig us deeper and deeper in a hole? Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - October 4, Buckley Opinion Piece: More funding needed for local roads About 30 representatives of Manitowoc County towns, villages, cities and the county attended a meeting on transportation funding at the Merchants Building on the Expo grounds Sept. 29. State Rep. Paul Tittl of Manitowoc also attended the meeting, and engaged actively in the discussion with local officials. The meeting was one of 70 meetings held that night, involving local officials from all 72 counties across Wisconsin in a coordinated Turnout for Transportation event. The event was organized by Wisconsin s three major local government organizations: the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Towns Association and Wisconsin Counties Association. Coming together under the theme Locals for a Sustainable Solution, these sessions were intended to highlight the need for increased funding to meet Wisconsin s transportation infrastructure needs. A problem long recognized Transportation funding in Wisconsin has been a hot topic for a few years now. DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb was appointed by the governor and Legislature in 2011 to head a special Transportation Finance and Policy Commission. That commission came back with a

40 report that identified a $700 million annual funding shortfall in meeting Wisconsin s transportation infrastructure needs. That report, presented in January 2013, recommended measures that would produce $480 million in new revenues each year, from a gas tax hike, increased registration fees and other dedicated user fees. It was dead on arrival, in both the Governor s Office and the Legislature. Also, DOA was DOT s original budget proposal for the state s current two-year budget ( ), delivered in early That proposal would have raised gas taxes and fees to fund street, bridge and highway needs. New revenue proposals were again DOA, but lots of big projects still moved forward. Much of the funding gap was covered by borrowing. Coming into the budget process, the DOT Secretary got a directive from the governor to bring in a budget that would increase transportation aids to local government, reduce funding for major highway projects, and avoid any tax or fee increases. Proposed budget: Funding increase for the locals, but... Secretary Gottlieb did just that on Sept. 15, and there is indeed some good news for local units in his proposed budget. Funding for General Transportation Aids to cities and villages is up by 6.3 percent. For Two Rivers, that would be an annual increase of $43,000 over the $682,000 we are receiving this year. But to put that increase in perspective, you have to remember that GTAs were cut by about 4.5 percent in the state budget and cut a bit more in the following budget, before growing modestly in the current biennium. So, even with this significant funding increase, cities and villages will be receiving only 2.8 percent more than we did eight years ago. Adjusted for inflation, we have still lost ground. At the same time, the proposed DOT budget reduces the amount of borrowing for state highway and bridge projects, by $350 million. This is no doubt in response to concerns about too much borrowing in the current budget and the fact that debt service will soon consume 20 percent of the state s annual transportation budget. Funding for major highway projects is cut by more than $400 million, which is sure to cause pushback from the state s major metro areas. Makes for interesting politics The proposed new DOT budget was not greeted warmly by the Assembly s Republican leadership. In a joint statement, Speaker Vos and other leaders declared: This budget request falls short of addressing the long-term funding crisis in our transportation budget. It is a political solution, not a real solution. And while they pledged that the state must enact cost savings and make the necessary reforms before any discussion of raising additional revenues, they did seem to leave the door open to some revenue measures. That s something Gov. Scott Walker has made clear he will not support. Bottom line: More funding needed at local level While there are plenty of bid issues on transportation funding to be addressed at the state level, the fact is that more funding for local street and road maintenance is needed. As stated earlier in this column, General Transportation Aids, even if boosted as proposed in the upcoming state budget, will be only 2.8 percent higher than they were eight years ago. And only 12.6 percent higher than 16 years ago. A 2014 report by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, Filling Potholes: A new Look at Transportation Funding in Wisconsin, illustrates the funding squeeze felt by local units. From the state budget to the state budget, priorities for Transportation Fund spending changed as follows:

41 Funding for local assistance went from 40 percent of the budget down to 32 percent; Funding for state highways went from 36 percent to 39 percent; and Funding for debt service went from 8 percent to 16 percent. (The balance of the DOT budget goes to the DMV, administration and other costs.) These shifts in DOT spending priorities illustrate what happened as the state kept investing heavily in its trunk highway system, while kicking the can down the road on overall DOT funding. More money got spent on state highways, more debt was issued to fill the growing gulf between infrastructure needs and available resources. That added debt ultimately drove up debt service costs. And the locals get squeezed, hard. Based on last week s discussions, I am optimistic Manitowoc County s cities, villages and towns can work together to send a clear message to area legislators that more money is needed for local street, road and bridge maintenance and rebuilding. Here s hoping. Greg Buckley is the Two River Cities Manager

42 Pierce County Herald - October 4, Stagnant fund increases don t fix crumbling roads Some towns are borrowing money for road projects, and some towns are making difficult decisions, having to choose between maintenance equipment upgrades and road projects. Those are the dilemmas municipalities across the state are facing in the stark reality of lack of transportation funding coming from the state, said Pierce County Highway Commissioner Chad Johnson. The Pierce County Highway Department hosted a roundtable discussion Thursday, Sept. 29, as part of a statewide event called Just Fix It Turnout for Transportation dedicated to bringing attention to the state s transportation needs and generating support for solving the transportation funding shortfall. Each of Wisconsin s 72 counties (a combined meeting in Bayfield and Ashland counties) held an event. Johnson and Prescott mayor Dave Hovel hosted the gathering. Representatives from many municipalities attended in fact, Johnson said. It was a nice cross-section of county, cities, villages, towns, he added. We showed an introductory video and went through the governor s budget. Each municipality told which projects they ve had to hold off on. It s simple in there s not enough funding. Municipalities are struggling. Many municipalities have to decide between completing road work and buying equipment, Johnson said. For example, the town of Maiden Rock had to borrow $233,764 from the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) state trust funds to purchase a grader. Last October, town of Gilman residents were faced with a proposal to exceed the town s levy limit in an attempt to further fund road repairs. The plan was rejected by town residents 45 to 34. If it had passed, the proposal would have increased the levy by 36 percent. Around $75,000 of the approximately $100,000 in additional tax monies would have been spent on 1,250 tons of patching blacktop for 30 miles of town roads, according to Town Chair Ross Christopherson, and the remaining $25,000 or so on the purchase of crushed rock to repair two-to-three miles of the total of 18 miles of roads in the town so surfaced. Last fall, Christopherson said approximately $106,000 in the budget went to pay for patching, seal coating, culverts and other town road upgrades. As the budget situation for road work exists, board members felt the town was falling behind on road maintenance, he said. The general road outlay hasn t increased locally for nearly 20 years, Gilman board member Jim Traynor said last fall. Meantime, the oldest cost for which he could find figures was $67,000 per mile of blacktop in 2004, compared with $113,000 in The roads just can t keep up, Traynor said. Johnson said attendees didn t write down all their specific projects at the meeting, but many were discussed. For example, this year the town of River Falls experienced an unexpected spring break-up of asphalt on 760th Avenue. Instead of reconstructing the road, they were only able to patch it, Johnson said. While the proposed state budget does put more into transportation funding that local governments utilize, it s not enough, Johnson said. We ll be in the same quandary, he replied. State budget overview

43 In June, Gov. Scott Walker instructed the Department of Transportation to craft a budget relying on revenue from the existing gas tax and vehicle registration fees. He apparently also said that proposed spending on mega projects in southeastern Wisconsin should be minimized. He instructed WisDOT to increase funding for local roads and maintenance. The proposed budget submitted by WisDOT complies with Walker s instructions. It includes: No tax or fee increases Lower total spending for the two-year period ($6.5 billion versus $6.8 billion on the current budget) Bonding of $500 million, down $350 million from current levels An increase in local aid of $65 million ($46 million in general transportation aids, $14 million in the Local Roads Improvement Program and $5 million in the Local Bridge Improvement Program) From the biennium to the two-year budget, the proposed general transportation aids funding increase to counties totals 5.3 percent; to municipalities, it s 5.2 percent. Cities and villages see a whopping 2.8 percent increase, while towns see 8.6 percent. While there is an increase, it s unlikely to significantly change local government s ability to keep up with their roads, Johnson said. According to a Wisconsin Towns Association statement on the budget, the increase will result in an increase of $88 per mile for towns, which is an infinitesimal percentage of the cost to reconstruct one mile. Costs increase about 5 percent per year, Johnson said. But with 0 percent increases, where does that leave road budgets? We lose buying power each year, Johnson said. Projects have to be pushed out. Our five-year plan is not able to be funded by current road levies. County s five-year plan The county has had to delay many needed projects, including a bridge on County Road O south of Highway 10 that is currently posted at 40 tons, but won t hold out for many more years, Johnson said. The department applied for Surface Transportation Program funds for the project, but was denied. It can apply again in two years. Even if funding is secured, it would be up to five years before a crane would be onsite, Johnson said. There are other funding options the county plans to pursue, though nothing is guaranteed. Other projects that need attention are another redeck for a bridge on County Road O, repaving County Road PP, a bridge redeck on County Road K and many more paving and guardrail replacement projects using a mix of local and state funds. It s broken down below. Whether or not the projects can be done on schedule depends on funding. In 2017: County Road DD from Highway 10 to 72, reconstruct and design, $30,000. County Road V from Highway 63 to County Road C, reconstruct, $1.8 million County Road S, guardrail replacements, $143,800 County Road U, structure rehab (bridge). $60,000 County Road KK, culvert replacement, $80,000 County Road B, culvert replacement, $80,000 County Road O from Highway 10 to 35, safety improvements, $35,000 County Road F, epoxy overlay, $50,000 County Road HH, epoxy overlay, $20,000 County Road B from County Road I to Spring Valley, reconstruct and design, $50,000

44 In 2018: County Road M from County Road F to Dry Run Road, mill and pave, $360,000 County Road DD from Highway 10 to 72, reconstruct, $1.2 million County Road CC from County Road G to 730th Avenue, mill and pave, $335,000 County Road G south of County Road N, guardrail replacement, $46,800 County Road K, bridge redeck, $385,000 County Road B from Highway 29 to 128, recondition, $2.1 million County Road N, guardrail replacement, $49,400 County Road EE, guardrail replacement, $45,000 County Road V, guardrail replacement, $45,000 In 2019: County Road B from County Road I to Spring Valley, reconstruct, $1.8 million County Road O from Highway 10 to 35, mill and pave, $1.84 million County Road U south of 90th Street, guardrail replacement, $62,400 County Road S north of Maiden Rock, guardrail replacement, $156,000 County Road U, concrete overlay, $205,000 County Road O, bridge structure redesign, $14,000; second bridge redesign, $13,000 County Road E, guardrail replacement, $90,000 In 2020: County Road PP south of Highway 72 to County Road P, mill and pave, $690,000 County Road O, bridge replacement, $90,000 County Road O, concrete bridge redeck, $80,000 County Road BB one mile north of Highway 72, guardrail replacement, $28,600 County Road QQ, guardrail replacement, $45,000 times two County Road CC from County Road S to Pepin line, mill and pave, $1.4 million More than 500 Wisconsin communities have passed the Just Fix It resolution. For more information, visit Superior Telegram - October 4, Rough Roads Need Fixing With no increases planned in the state's next biennial budget for transportation, city, town and county officials came together Thursday to discuss the problems that poses for solving transportation issues locally. The Turnout for Transportation event in Douglas County was among 71 other county events held throughout the state Thursday night. Local officials are calling on legislators to fix the state's funding mechanism for transportation. The goal of the event was to put a spotlight on the critical projects and services in the region, and the need for the legislature to find a sustainable solution to Wisconsin's transportation challenges, said Douglas County Administrator Andy Lisak. "We just came back from the Wisconsin Counties Association convention in Milwaukee," said County Board Chairman Mark Liebaert. "What we found out down there is other counties are in the exact same boat we are. They're dealing with transportation issues at a level and a problem they have not seen in their tenure.... They've been dealing with this for a long time and they don't have any other directions to solving this problem any more than we do."

45 With stagnant county revenues, and a $2 million allocated for highway maintenance in the county's annual budget, Douglas County has started bonding to make needed road repairs. Even that isn't enough to address the needs, Lisak said. Douglas County has 338 miles of county highways, 155 miles of which are at a PASER rating a scale of 1-10 for rating the surface condition of roads of five or less, and another 135 miles with a rating between five and eight, meaning 86 percent of all county roads are in need of some form of maintenance, said Douglas County Highway Commissioner Jason Jackman. He said to crawl out of that hole, the county would need between $5 million and $7 million annually for road maintenance. Later this month, the board will consider doubling its bonding next year to address some of the county's worst roads. With the help of bonding this year, Jackman said the county was able to address nearly 24 miles of roads and the most he's seen in his 16 years with the highway department. He said records show less than 35 miles of roads have been reconstructed. Most road projects involve pulverizing pavement and laying new blacktop, not addressing the base, Jackman said. "We don't have the resources to address our needs," Lisak said. While the governor has proposed spending less on mega projects in southeast Wisconsin to provide local aid for transportation, it's not likely to have a significant impact on the ability to maintain local transportation systems, he said. "The problem is trying to come up with increasing dollars with decreasing transportation dollars, Liebaert said. "Our county is not the only one having to deal with borrowing money to meet those obligations... the transportation infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes." The events statewide were sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin League of Municipalities and Wisconsin Towns Association. "It is incumbent on all of us to find a sustainable solution for the long-term economy and safety of Wisconsin," said Mike Koles, director of the Wisconsin Towns Association. Mark O'Connell, director of the counties association, said transportation investment is critical to Wisconsin's future success. But it's not just counties that are struggling to pay for road projects. Superior's Public Works director, Todd Janigo, said if you look at recent projects in the city it demonstrations a 900-year replacement cycle. He said the city does very little reconstruction and basically patches streets with a paver, meaning the city has roads with 80- to 90-year-old concrete beneath it. Janigo said reconstructing five blocks on East Fifth Street cost $2.5 million, and reconstructing Belknap Street from Hill to Banks avenues slated for 2017 and 2018 is expected to cost $27 million with the help of state funding. Lakeside Town Board Chairman and president of the Douglas County unit of the towns association, Tom Johnson, said there are some blacktopped town roads that have to be turned into gravel roads, because towns simply don't have the resources to repair them. "We've only got 44 miles, but it might as well be 144 for the funding we've got," said Bennett Town Board Chairman Barry Carlson, who described one road in Bennett with a corded wood base that has him concerned the town's grader could roll while performing maintenance. Gary Kane of Maple said while the town inherited the old County Highway FF, it's probably not had anything done to the blacktop since the 1980s, and the town just can't afford it without some help. "With as tight as town budgets are, it's difficult to get a lot of this stuff done," Johnson said.

46 How you can help Douglas County Administrator Andy Lisak recommended several options people can use to keep pressure on to find sustainable solutions to transportation funding: Text JustFixItWI to to send a message to elected officials about Thursday night s event. Tell your transportation story at or instructions are available at the latter site. Like TDAWisconsin on Facebook and invite friends to like the page. Follow TDAWisconsin on Twitter and join the conversation using #JustFixItWI Write a letter to the editor explaining how a transportation project of service impacts you, your community or your business. Courier Press (Prairie du Chene) - October 3, Meetings held in all 72 counties regarding road and bridge repair: Crawford County officials, residents intend to pressure governor, legislature for more funding During a unique event, there were meetings held in all 72 counties Thursday night to discuss Wisconsin s transportation infrastructure. It was the first time in the history of the state that such meetings were held to discuss the economic and safety issues of Wisconsin s roadways and bridges. Highway Commissioner Dennis Pelock led the meeting in Crawford County, which was attended by 22 citizens, most of whom were village, town, city or county officials. The meeting was named the Just Fix It, Turnout for Transportation meeting and was held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association, the Wisconsin County Highway Association, and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. After a brief video presentation and also reading the highlights of several handouts, including the proposed state budget, attendees discussed the problem of repairing and maintaining all of the roads and bridges within the county, and where the money will come from to do it. We need to get the governor to budget for transportation better, rather than borrowing, said Pelock, who noted that Governor Scott Walker s proposed budget will cut $447 million from the State Highway Program for In addition, Pelock pointed out that the proposed budget has no fee or fuel tax increases in order to raise more funds for roadways and bridges. Crawford County and the other counties in the state, along with the towns and villages simply don t have enough money to pay for the needed repairs to deteriorating roadways and deficient bridges. Pelock said there are 18 deficient bridges in the county and, at the current rate of funding, it will take a long time to repair them all. We ve been working on our bridges for the past eight years, said Pelock. At the rate we re going, it ll be 50 years before we re done. Complicating matters is the recent flash flooding of the Kickapoo River and area streams that caused millions of dollars of damage to roads and bridge approaches in the county. Assessment of the damage and the cost is underway and the total cost estimates are not yet known. It is hoped that FEMA funding will be available to pay for the flood damage. Not only are bad roads and bridges a safety concern, they adversely affect the economy of the county as well, said many in attendance. Farmers, loggers and other businesses that need to haul their product, for example, can t cross certain bridges within the county because of weight

47 restrictions and have to find longer alternate routes. Plus, businesses may not want to come to Crawford County if the roads and bridges are deficient. The towns, the cities, the counties don t have the long-term funding they need, said Pelock in noting that insufficient funding leads to a band aid approach. It s like putting lipstick on a pig. Prairie du Chien Mayor Dave Hemmer and several other attendees pointed out that the eastern part of the state has great roads and always seems to get the needed funding. It s like we don t count over here, said Hemmer. Prairie du Chien Alderman and former Crawford County Board Chairman Ron Leys and others suggested that the state should increase vehicle registration fees and fuel taxes in order to raise transportation revenue. Leys said that he drives an electric car and that electric cars will be the wave of the future. Unfortunately, there is no fuel tax for electric cars. Leys said he is willing to pay his fair share and that there should be some kind of fee or tax for electric vehicles. Leys also noted that Iowa, Minnesota and other surrounding states have much higher vehicle registration fees than Wisconsin s $75 fee. Former County Board Chairman Pete Flesch, a member of the Crawford County Economic Development Committee, said that vehicles continue to become more fuel efficient, and thus, money raised via the fuel tax continues to drop even though there are more vehicles on the road. Good highways are what businesses look for, it s critical to our economy, said Flesch. Flesch read a note from State Senator Jennifer Shilling stating that Shilling thanks everybody for attending the meeting and that she supports finding ways to resolve Wisconsin s transportation problems. Following the discussion, it was decided that a letter to the governor and the legislators will be drafted and signed by all who were at the requesting possible increases in registration fees, the fuel tax, the sales tax and having a wheel tax. The letter will also request an increase in funding to the State Highway Program and other transportation programs rather than decreases. All town boards are expected to adopt resolutions and send letters. Pelock also urged all who attended the meeting to send their own letters to the governor and to area legislators, and to help get the word out so that all citizens can send letters as well. We need to put pressure on the legislature, said Pelock. Numbers of letters count. Chippewa Daily Herald - October 2, Local consensus: Raise gas taxes to save local roads David Staudacher, who serves on the Lake Holcombe Town Board, recalled when the town could keep ahead with needed road repairs. Back in 2000, the town would replace three miles of road a year, so all the roads would be replaced within 15 to 20 years. Those days are done, in part because of lower state aids and a cap on municipal tax levies, while paying for increases in labor and materials. Now we re down to one mile per year. And we re not going to catch up. We re doing much more maintenance now, Staudacher told the Turnout for Transportation meeting in Chippewa Falls on Thursday. Ronnie Arts, chairman of the town of Birch Creek, said the state is treating transportation as though it is a discretionary spending item.

48 You have to go out and get the money to fix roads, she said. You can t let them go. It s a mandatory thing. Arts and Staudacher are members of a local chapter of the Transportation Development Association, which sponsored the unprecedented event Thursday. It brought together members of county, city, village and town boards to kick around ideas on how to pay for necessary road repairs and replacements. Sessions were held in 71 of Wisconsin s 72 counties on Thursday. One idea won a consensus among those at the Chippewa Falls meeting about how to pay for better maintained roads: Raise the state s gasoline tax. Currently it is 32.9 cents a gallon, compared to 28.6 cents in Minnesota. The average in the U.S. is 48.1 cents. Nobody is afraid of (raising) it. I guess I would not close the door on it... It s the most userbased fee out there, said Glen Sikorski, chairman of the Chippewa County s Highway Committee. An increased state gas tax would provide more money, but not from the owners of alternative fuel vehicles, such as electric cars or trucks. State Rep. Kathy Bernier, R-Lake Hallie, attended the session in Chippewa Falls, and said the state s problems with funding transportation began before the recession of So the state has fallen behind and local governments have fallen behind, she said. Bernier said Wisconsin has a lower vehicle registration fee than any of its neighboring states, and could consider that. I think we need to look at a sales tax for local government option, she said, adding it could be set to last for a limited time. It could replace the wheel tax, which Bernier said causes a lot of friction among members of various county boards. Bernier s opponent in the 68th Assembly District race in the Nov. 8 election, Eau Claire Democrat Howard White, did not attend Thursday s session in Chippewa Falls. The two candidates in the 67th District race, Democrat Dennis Hunt of Chippewa Falls and Rob Summerfield of Bloomer, did attend the sessions and listened to the suggestions. They heard from Rob Krejci, the assistant city engineer in Chippewa Falls, when he said having good roads is valuable in attracting new businesses to the area. As road projects postpone projects, it gets harder to attract those companies to Chippewa County, he said. It s more than just a road, Krejci said. It s an economic driver.

49 WTMJ NBC4 - Milwaukee October 2, Charlie Sykes: Sunday Insight - Panelist Brian Fraley says week s winners are participants across Wisconsin who participated in Turnout for Transportation Meetings

50 Janesville Gazette Extra - September 30, w_to_improve_wisconsins_roads Turnout for Transportation facilitates discussion on how to improve Wisconsin's roads County and municipal politicians, representatives and concerned citizens gathered at Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport to discuss how to deal with Wisconsin's transportation issues. The meeting was facilitated by Rock County Director of Public Works Ben Coopman, Janesville City Manager Mark Freitag and Rock County Unit Chair of the Wisconsin Towns Association Phil Hamilton. This is a discussion that's important for the state, Freitag said. The facilitators showed a video from the Transportation Development Association urging people to get involved with the Just Fix It movement, a push to search for sustainable solutions to Wisconsin's deteriorating roads. The conversation during the event focused largely on state transportation infrastructure, what needs attention and the lack of funds to fix roads in a sustainable way. Attendees were invited to speak and tell their stories about the roads in their towns. Milton City Administrator Al Hulick said it's the most important conversation to have right now because everything is affected by transportation. Hulick said because of budgetary issues municipalities such as Milton are forced to patch roads instead of attacking the root of the problem. John Bergman, town of Harmony chairman, also spoke out on this issue. Are we going to rebuild a road that's in terrible shape, or are we going to do preventative maintenance on the roads? There simply has to be a solution, Bergman said. Local consultant Keith Caswell said Wisconsin compared to neighboring states is not over taxed, and a smart increase in the gas tax could help to solve the problem entirely. They're throwing more maintenance money, but they're not fixing the problems, Caswell said. Rep. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, said there needs to be a vote on tax. He echoed the statements of others by saying the problem is not being fixed sustainably, a vote on tax could help to change that. Coopman gathered the crowd's attention to show a video. Just Fix It has developed a way for people to easily send a message to their legislators and to the governor's office, according to the video. Those who wish to send a message to lawmakers can text JustFixItWi to and follow the instructions that follow, Coopman said. The facilitators urged everyone to contact their legislators and to keep fighting. Don't forget, it's not all done here tonight, Hamilton said. Post Crescent (Appleton, Fox Cities) - September 30, Officials seek long-term transportation plan Local government leaders joined forces Thursday night to ask state officials to find a long-term solution for transportation funding. "I don't know that we can hang on much longer," said Outagamie County Highway Commissioner Dean Steingraber, who spoke of a member of his church who died last year in a crash on State 15, where an improvement project has been delayed.

51 Steingraber was one of 50 community members and local government leaders who met Thursday night at Fox Valley Technical College. It was one of 72 meetings across the state to focus on the Department of Transportation's budget and its impact on local roads. In September, Gov. Scott Walker released a $6.5 billion budget proposal, $300 million less than the current DOT budget. Walker has said he's not in favor of raising vehicle registration fees or the gas tax, despite pleas from his fellow Republican lawmakers to reconsider. Walker's proposal includes an increase in local funding for roads, but delays big and small projects, including the Zoo Interchange in the Milwaukee area and the State Highway 15 bypass from Hortonville to New London. Construction on the U.S.10/State 441 expansion is scheduled to remain on schedule as part of the budget, Walker said. "I think, yeah, our message is we appreciate that (increase in local aid), but is it sustainable? Is it sustainable for us?" Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna said. Hanna also wondered whether projects that are being constructed on time for the budget could be "kicked down the road again" in the next biennial budget. Many at the "Just Fix It" event in Grand Chute favored a higher gas tax, saying that as cars become more energy-efficient, less revenue is generated because drivers fuel up less often. Currently, the state taxes nearly 31 cents per gallon of gas, a rate that hasn't changed since "I'm not a tax-and-spend kind of guy, but I think an increase in the gas tax is relevant compared to the revenue we get from it," said Jim Pleuss, an Outagamie County Board member and Grand Chute town board member. Attendees also showcased the divide between rural and urban issues with transportation. Town officials from Bovina, Center and Seymour said the increase of agricultural vehicles and trucking has caused deterioration on town and county roads as larger farms moved into the area and increased their production. In contrast, Hanna highlighted the need for increased public transportation, such as Valley Transit, in the urban parts of Outagamie County. He cited a higher demand from young people and the potential to alleviate high traffic from the Fox Cities to Oshkosh or Green Bay on Interstate 41. State Assembly Reps. Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah) and Amanda Stuck (D-Appleton) attended the event, as did Assembly 3rd District candidate Ron Tusler. Rohrkaste said state lawmakers know transportation funding "is a long-term mess," and understand the problem, "but now it's just how to fix it." Rohrkaste said he's open to various options, including making the DOT more financially efficient and tolling. He added that delaying projects outside the Fox Cities, including the Zoo Interchange, are still important to the region because of commerce between Milwaukee and the Fox Cities. Stuck said there won't be a single solution for transportation funding, but likely a mixture of different initiatives to meet needs of different kinds of communities. Juneau County Star Times - September 30, County leaders address ailing roads In a first of its kind event, officials from across Juneau County joined 70 other counties in the state to discuss transportation issues, specifically Wisconsin s ailing roads.

52 The Just Fix It, Turnout for Transportation event was held at the Juneau County Courthouse Thursday night. Thursday s historic statewide forum was sponsored by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties Association, the state s towns association, and the state s county highway association. One of the biggest goals for the discussion was to find a sustainable solution to Wisconsin s infrastructure problems. Thursday s local version of the forum was hosted by county highway commissioner Dennis Weiss, county towns association chair Betty Manson, and City of Mauston Public Works Director Rob Nelson. The forum included many elected officials from all corners of the county, including town, city and village leaders. Weiss presented a map of the county, enclosed in a glass frame, and invited officials to place an orange dot sticker on the roads needing repair. Weiss said the county s public works department recently wrapped up budget preparations for Some of our bridge work got cut out of the budget because we just can t afford them, Weiss said. It just has to be fixed and we re kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul to do some of this work. County Chair Alan Peterson toured flooded roadways in the northern part of the county last weekend. He said the county is trying to receive emergency funds from the state to repair washed out roadways. We need help, we know that, and we re trying to do whatever we can do, Peterson said. Michael Kelley, chair of the county public works committee, said the county should be sealcoating miles of road every year, but have to settle for about 18. Looking at our infrastructure now and to try and keep it where it s at is really hard, Kelley said. We have a (tax) levy that we re under; we try to maintain it, so that creates a lot of patching of roads. We re shutting our eyes on bridges that shouldn t be shut. Quite a few of our trucks are 15 years old. We keep working on them, but the parts our getting more expensive. But if you don t get any raise from the state, it comes out of the levy. Eventually this is going to come back to bite everybody and bite hard. I don t know what the governor plans to do, but at one time they were proposing borrowing about $500 million. Well, that doesn t solve anything, it just creates another payment for the next year that needs to be paid back. They need to come up with a solution, whether that is a hike in the gas tax or whatever, but they need to do something. Officials from the northern reaches of the county would like to see more support, especially since seasonal flooding occurs often. Town of Necedah Chairman Terry Taft said his township has 117 miles of roads and it s a losing proposition to maintain them every year. It doesn t help that we just lost $27,000 from the state in shared revenue, Taft said. Eventually these roads will begin to crumble and we just won t be able to maintain them. Residents in the town of Finley believe the Dexterville Dam s water flow has contributed to extensive flooding in recent years. In the southwestern part of Juneau County, Wonewoc officials blame the Hillsboro Dam for the rise in flooding. On Thursday, a Wonewoc representative said last week s flooding was almost worse than the historic 2008 flood. The town of Cutler, which is largely consumed by the Necedah Wildlife Refuge, did receive some federal grant money to repair flooded roadways. But, a township official said at least one bridge is decaying so badly that it s almost beyond repair. Officials from both the townships of Plymouth and Marion said it s getting difficult to repair even a mile of roadway with simple seal coating. Many municipalities can only afford to patch and seal-coat rough roads, which is similar to placing a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. The

53 patching only lasts about six years before more repairs must be done. County officials fear some rural roads might turn into gravel if they re not address in the next few years. It s like putting lipstick on a pig, said one county official. Town of Fountain Clerk Sarah Shanahan said the county has to make the best decisions it can when it does receive state aid. Shanahan said her township roads receive heavy traffic from farm machinery that breaks down asphalt. She would like to see the towns association work with the county to find better solutions. I encourage everyone to take photos of all the bad roads in your area, them to me, and I ll forward them onto the state, Manson said. Officials from both New Lisbon and Mauston said large street projects have been pushed back or delayed for several years due to lack of funding. We seem to build new roads in the state, but don t take care of the ones we have, said Mauston Administrator Nathan Thiel. Mayor Brian McGuire said residents and local officials need to put pressure on state lawmakers to find ways to fix roads. A raise in license registration fees is one option, along with a hike in sales tax for fuel and the installation of toll booths. Gov. Scott Walker is against raising state taxes to pay for road repairs. We need to do something soon or we re going to get busted in the chops, McGuire said. Art Shrader, a Democrat running for the 50th Assembly District seat, addressed county leaders at the forum. Shrader said state officials can no longer kick the can down the road regarding infrastructure. It s putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg and this system isn t working anymore, Shrader said. State Senator Howard Marklein and State Representative Ed Brooks were not present for Thursday s meeting. Weiss said Marklein was planning to call in, but didn t during the hour-long session. Brooks has voiced his opposition to Walker s stance on not raising taxes to pay for roadwork in recent months.

54 Jefferson County Daily Union - September 30, First-ever Council of Governments meets - Officials share challenges More than 50 people turned out for Jefferson County s first-ever Council of Governments on Thursday evening. The event, which was open to the public, was held at the Jefferson County Fair Park Activity Center. Attendees included governmental representatives from the town, village, city, -county and state levels. A meet-and-greet was followed by reports from the school districts and town, municipal and county governments, as well as from state Sen. Janis Ringhand, D-Evansville, of District 15. Also speaking were Mark O Connell, executive director of the Wisconsin Counties Association, and Jerry Deschane, executive director of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities. We do this work, not for ourselves and not just for our generation, but we do it for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and beyond, Jefferson County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Jim Schroe-der, who was an organizer of the event, said. One of the visions of this group is to find issues where we can speak as one voice and be much more effective as we advocate up the food chain to our state and federal representatives. Jefferson County Administrator Ben Wehmeier, who originally proposed the gathering, agreed. The first goal of this is to break down the barriers that exist even among governmental bodies and private sectors shaking that hand, building that trust, Wehmeier said. So the goal then is, how do you create that to one common theme? There s a lot of opportunities and challenges that we all face and this is that opportunity to get together and bring those out and find a solution to these issues. School districts Speaking for the school districts was Michael Garvey, superintendent of the school District of Johnson Creek. He began by speaking about the recently completed Johnson Creek Middle/High School, which opened at the start of this school year. What a great opportunity it s been to finally get a new school in Johnson Creek (and) watch the portable buildings drive out of town, Garvey said. We were just about to the point where we had more classes outside of the building than inside, and so that was our breaking point. The school has a rather unique construction, consisting of five interconnected domes as opposed to a more traditional appearance. It doesn t look as weird now as it did six months ago, Garvey said. It s incredibly energy efficient. Our big piece with it, though, is that 109,000 square feet would have cost us $8 million more than it did if we used conventional construction. On a $20 million project, that s a good chunk. For school districts across the state, Garvey said, he believes the biggest factor in school finance is revenue limits. (It was) pretty interesting and pretty effective when the revenue limits went in in the 90s, he said. The Thompson administration was putting revenue limits on school districts and guaranteeing two-thirds funding for schools from the state. Well, I spent a lot of time this summer buying furniture, and we only have one leg of a three-legged stool left and that really isn t working very well for us. He pointed out that the governor has pledged to add additional funding for schools in the upcoming biennial budget.

55 That should be good for all of us, Garvey said. That should provide some property tax relief and also, hopefully, provide more dollars, and one of the things we re hoping to see is making revenue limits whole and increasing as it relates to inflation. That s what the law was before the revenue limits went in and our per-pupil increase. That would help all of us taxpayers, educators across the board. Towns Speaking on behalf of the townships was Town of Watertown Board of Supervisors Chairperson Richard Gimler. (In) the villages and the county, we don t have enough money for our roads, Gimler said. Roads are our main issue. I think our governor and legislators are going to have to start with them. Right now, with the levy limits that we have, we don t have enough money to go around. I d hate to see our roads go back to gravel, he continued. Some townships are talking about putting their roads back to gravel. Gravel roads are very expensive to maintain. Also speaking was Jim Mode, Supervisor 2 of the Town of Jefferson Board of Supervisors and District 20 representative on the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors. Mode explained that he was speaking on behalf of Town of Jefferson Board of Supervisors Chairperson Nancy Emons, who was unable to attend. Emons asked him to share three things in which she was interested. One is road maintenance, Mode said. We can no longer provide adequate road maintenance and, even less so, provide relief for our residents. While trying to maintain just the roads that can be maintained, we have and will continue to do improvements to the roads that have deteriorated to the patching stage of road life. The second thing was the cost of fire protection equipment and services. Because we contract for fire protection, we, like many other towns, need to invest heavily in the equipment dedicated to servicing our residents, Mode said. Because of the redundancy of the equipment in each fire district, the Town of Jefferson has come to rely on borrowing to meet the request for equipment, while at the same time relying on the mutual-aid system due to the lack of available volunteers. We, like other towns in our county, continue to purchase equipment that is under-utilized in our service district, he continued. Yet we utilize it in the mutual-aid system cobbled together in response when any one of our districts cannot respond. Third was interaction with state government. The ever-changing rules, restrictions and reporting requirements for state government has shifted the responsibilities of town clerks, treasurers and supervisors, Mode said. Municipalities City of Watertown Mayor John David spoke for the municipalities. One of the biggest things that we have an issue with is funding for our streets, he said. We re 150-plus years old; our infrastructure is a disaster. I know it and our citizens are like, Are you going to do my street this year? and I think you re probably all going through that. It s, Well, we only have so much money, David continued. A million dollars when you (build streets) starting four feet down and coming up does not go very far. Honestly, that is probably the biggest challenge that we face. He said the city did some really creative budgeting this year and that, for the first time since the 1990s, the number of police and firefighter staffers was increased by one each. County

56 Jefferson County Administrator Wehmeier spoke about issues the county currently is facing, including the increase use of heroin, opioids and other drugs; changes in the University of Wisconsin-Extension office and transportation. Earlier this year in May, our local law enforcement, along with our Sheriff s Office, our Human Services Department and the District Attorney s Office, signed an MOU, Wehemeir said, referring to a memorandum of understanding. The MOU was looking at different strategies of how we can handle that situation. The goal is really looking at those who are non-dealers to look at the treatment alternatives and get them into treatment right away. He explained that many in law enforcement knew, from day-to-day interactions, who people with drug issues are and that putting them in the county jail wasn t helping. Sept. 1, we were notified the state was investing in TAD program treatment alternative programs and we were lucky to be one of the recipients of the grants, Wehmeier said. What that s going to allow us to do is maintain our alcohol treatment court, adding on some restricted substance alcohol issues. We also are going to start a drug treatment court. The goal is to have it as a tool when you deal with drugs, heroin and opioids, not only just to treat it, he continued. Sometimes just a treatment s not going to work; sometimes people need a judge standing in front of them to help them through those situations, but that doesn t mean they re behind bars the whole time. So that s a new approach we re going to try. It s going to start at the beginning of the year. The grant also allows for the hiring of a full-time staff member to help coordinate many of the items that come along with alcohol and drugs, as well as barriers in the criminal justice system. Another big topic the last few months within the county and all the counties across the state is, what s the deal with UW-Extension? Wehmeier said. Because some of the budget cuts and some the realignment resources in the UW-Extension program, they re looking at how to service the citizens of Wisconsin. There s been numerous approaches going on and, in some ways, the beginning of this year was almost a reset of that program. He explained that it appears UW-Extension will take on a more regional approach, but that does not mean county-based educators will be gone. We hope by spring of next year we ll have more finite details from the chancellor of where we re going, but it is impacting some services right now, Wehmeier said. For those who aren t aware, our community development agent retired in July and that position will not be filled. Dec. 16 of this year, our family living agent will also be retiring and that position will not be filled right away. We are able to hire a 4-H agent back, so we re down from four agents to two for the time being, he continued. Once the determination is made working with the state, the chancellor and our partner counties which will be Rock and Walworth, it looks like we ll look at an approach that works for all the counties to make the system work. Transportation was the third issue the county administrator cited. Highway Commissioner Bill Kern will be the first to tell you that, if you start looking at it, it s not just the county roads, Wehmeier said. We start looking at the state highways that we re responsible to help maintain via the state. This past year, we had to do a lot of work with a contractor on I-94, but that s not getting any better. It s getting worse. We know we have some bridges in the pipeline on I-94. At the same time, we have many projects that many here might deem priorities, but they re not even in the five-year plan, he continued. One question I always get is, Where is (U.S. Highway) 18 at? It s not on the radar right now, folks. We start looking at what we need and

57 those are the priorities we have to look at, and 18 is just an example of that. We invest approximately $3.5 to $4 million a year in tax levy to go to the roads, but those dollars get shorter and shorter as we go ahead. State I knew roads would be an issue, Sen. Ringhand said. I have a very diverse district so I have I-90 projects, rural roads, town chairmen who have me on speed dial because the roads are so bad, so I understand it and I get it. The money issue is worse than it s ever been, she continued. When I got in the Legislature six years ago, there had already been proposals about ways of adding additional fees, taking money from other areas and trying to find a better way to fund the roads. That was done again a couple years ago. Both (proposals) are sitting on a shelf collecting dust. They have refused to bring those forward. Ringhand said she disagrees with that. I know how important it is that we do find revenue for these roads. We can t continue to borrow, she said. We will be paying for this for years and years to come. We re already at 20 cents on every transportation dollar in payback for interest. That can t continue. If we borrow another million dollars in this budget, we ll be up to 30 cents of every transportation dollar going toward paying off debt. It s not sustainable, she said, and Senate majority and minority members are aware of that. I think we re in for a battle, Ringhand said. I don t know exactly how it s going to all play out, but I think it s time that it has to come to a head. O Connell and Deschane spoke about challenges the state will face in its next budget. In this next budget, the state has no money and they re not going to have any more money, O Connell said. We are coming out of the recession slower than we anticipated. When the governor said and you heard this some time ago that 250,000 jobs would be created, in a normal recession, that would have been an incredibility safe number. If we would have come out of the recession as we normally have in about 15 to 18 months, we would have generated or gotten back the jobs that we lost and so 250,000 jobs would have been a very safe number, he continued. The problem is, we didn t come out of the recession in 15 or 18 or even 24 months, so we ve not hit that 250,000 increased job market, which really would have brought us back up to just about where we were prior to We haven t gotten there. That means there are fewer people working, fewer people employed and, given the kind of industry and economy Wisconsin has, there are not as many people making as much money. That, in turn, means they are not paying as much in taxes or sales taxes, so there is not as much revenue, Ringhand said. The state gets its revenue basically from two sources: income and sales, O Connell said. Neither is growing at the rate that we would like and, quite frankly, not at the rate that we had projected. Deschane added that about a quarter of the smallest cities and villages in Wisconsin still are in a recession. In Wisconsin, half the cities and villages have a population of 1,500 or less, Deschane said. They re still losing jobs, from a year-over-year perspective. Funding for education also is an issue the state will face. The UW System took a $250 million hit last budget, O Connell said. They have a $42 million request into the governor this budget. They might get some of that. They ve also asked for some tuition flexibility.

58 If there are dollars allocated to the University of Wisconsin System, it may well come with some performance criteria and measure, he continued. If performance measures are met, then the dollars might be awarded. That might be the governor s budget. The legislature may feel differently about that and then we ll see. O Connell also spoke about funding for grades K-12. The governor was clear about this. He intends to put dollars toward K-12, he said. You can put dollars into K-12. but if it s the below the line credit, all you re really doing is you re offsetting the property tax bill and you ve really done nothing to K-12. If you truly want to put dollars into K-12, you can t put it into what s called the below-the-line credit. You actually have to allocate dollars to K-12. He said that flexibility at the school level on expenditures will be talked about, but he s not sure that there is a large enough audience in the Legislature and the governor s office to get that done. (Transportation) is a gigantic issue and it s such a gigantic issue that way, way early in the process lines have been drawn in the sand, O Connell said. In my 28 years in government, this is the earliest an issue has ever had lines drawn in the sand. The governor said, I m not passing a budget that increases revenues (to transportation) without decreasing somewhere else. The speaker of the Assembly has said, We are not passing a budget until we solve this problem, and the Senate is in a tough spot. Deschane agreed. We re all used to seeing political showdowns, Deschane said. Showdowns are nothing new. What s weird is they re the same party. Normally, parties get together in the same room and say, Lets not embarrass ourselves by having a family fight publicly, but in this case, the speaker and the governor are in the same party and they ve made diametrically opposed statements. I have no doubt that, if there was a bipartisan vote on transportation, it would pass both houses with a vetoproof majority. We will not have that vote. That s just the way things work. Schroeder said he was pleased with conversation. I m really, really happy about how it went, Schroeder said. The turnout was really good and the speakers we had were inspiring. We hope to have it on a regular basis. The governmental reports and discussion was followed by the first ever Turnout for Transportation event, which was hosted by the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin League of Municipalities and the Wisconsin Towns Association.

59 Fond du Lac Reporter - September 30, Road woes heard at Turnout for Transportation Potholes, cracked and crumbling roads and bridges braced with makeshift repairs are taking their toll on area motorists and elected officials. Far too many road projects, like the delayed Highway 23 expansion, are being kicked like a can down the road, Fond du Lac County Executive Allen Buechel told a crowd Thursday night at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds. About 75 people, mostly frustrated town, village and local officials, turned out to share their road system woes at a Turnout for Transportation meeting, one of 71 held throughout the state. The open forum gave citizens a chance to voice concerns about critical road conditions, evident throughout Fond du Lac County, and the ongoing lack of state funding. We are all hurting for money, we are all in the same boat, said town of Eldorado chairperson Gary Miller. Where he lives, town roads are narrow and farm equipment, like combines, have increased in size. Damage from manure haulers has cost the rural community $160,000, he said. That s half its annual road budget. Lack of funds County Road E near Brandon in the town of Metomen is crumbling and difficult to maneuver. Town officials have elected to turn this road and another one, Callen Road, back to gravel, said the town's chair Jeff Amend. We can t afford to maintain them, and we have too many other roads to fix, Amend said. We don t have a lot of income or industry, so we rely on that transportation aid. The proposed transportation budget recently released by the Department of Transportation calls for a $300 million reduction in funding and no tax or fee increases. About $65 million in local aid would be dispersed between 72 counties. That's not enough to do much, said Fond du Lac County Highway Commissioner Tom Janke. Pulverizing and repaving a road in the county costs upwards of $225,000 a mile. Redoing a large bridge could cost $5 to $10 million, he said. Highway 23 (project) now has to compete for funding and it s been cut out of the budget for another three years, Janke said. You can continue to defer these types of projects but they aren t going away. Patching the problem A bridge along Highway G, south of Highway 23 near St. Cloud is a load posted structure on a long truck hall route near Baker Cheese. Replacement funding was recently denied and over the years additional superstructure (steel beams) have been added to continue to hold the bridge up, Janke said. The Hickory Road bridge in the Town of Fond du Lac is in extremely poor condition. Girders have holes through the web and the deck has numerous patched areas with broken out concrete. An asphalt overlay served as a temporary fix. Another bridge on Drumlin Drive in the town of Ashford is in rough shape and too narrow. The abutments are old stone masonry and the bridge railing on one side was torched off and hinges welded on to allow for wider farm equipment to get through. US 151 The 151 ramp project raised the ire of many at the meeting because, officials say, the project was never done right in the first place. The Highway 45 ramps to U.S. 151 in Fond du Lac are

60 scheduled to close Oct. 10. New Highway 151/ County Highway V interchange ramps will open and the former at-grade intersection at Highway 151/County Highway V will be shut down. Cost of the initial US 151 project was $9.2 million. The current project is coming in at $7.16 million and the 151 bypass project at Highway T will cost $10.13 million for a total of $26.49 million when all is said and done, according to the DOT. Pardon the pun, but they kicked the damn thing down the road and later it cost more, Buechel said. He explained that when the bypass opened in 2005 it wasn t done right and it cost more because the project had been postponed by the DOT so the money could instead be used to complete the Marquette Interchange project in Milwaukee. Weighing in Buechel said citizens need to put pressure on the state and elected officials to fund transportation project needs. Many who attended the meeting felt the situation was critical enough to call for increasing the gas tax and vehicle registration fee the only means left to address failing transportation infrastructures. Right now we have some communities who have enough (funds) out there to patch a water main break and that s it, Buechel said. State Assembly candidate Paul Czisny wondered aloud why local Assembly Rep. Jeremy Theisfeldt (R-Fond du Lac) and Senator Rick Gudex (R-Fond du Lac) were not in attendance. This is the number one issue all my constituents are bringing up, Czisny said. But there are a lot of political groups out there ready to attack any candidate who brings up raising taxes." State Senate candidate Dan Feyen, also in attendance, said good roads are essential for the manufacturing and farming economies, as well as the safety of citizens. Citizens can weigh in and post photos on an interactive map of roadways in need of repair, at JustFixItWi.com. More information is available at TurnoutforTransportation.com. Photos and frustrations are also being collected on Twitter at #JustFixIt. The event was sponsored by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association and the Wisconsin Highway Association.

61 Sheboygan Press - September 30, Meeting eyes road problems Nearly 100 people showed up Thursday to a town hall-style event in downtown Sheboygan aimed at dissecting problems with the state s highways and roads. The public forum was part of the statewide Just Fix It: Turnout for Transportation series of meetings slated to run simultaneously in counties across the state. They all aimed at addressing Wisconsin s poor highways and talking about Gov. Scott Walker s proposed transportation budget. Wisconsin fares poorly among other states when it comes to roads. Seventy-one percent of the state's are in poor or mediocre condition, according to U.S. Department of Transportation figures. Only Connecticut and Illinois (both 73 percent) are worse. A news release published after the event noted delays in road construction projects have meant that costs for those repairs have gone up over time. Speakers included Sheboygan County Board chairman Tom Wegner, Sheboygan Mayor Mike Vandersteen and other county and city officials, including county administrator Adam Payne, county transportation director Greg Schnell and city public works director David Biebel. Plymouth Mayor Don Pohlman, Elkhart Lake President Alan Rudnick, town of Lima chairman Charles Born and town of Scott chairman Randy Narbatovics spoke too, as did William Goehring, unit chairman with the Wisconsin Towns Association. Also participating were state Sen. Devin LeMahieu and state Rep. Terry Katsma, both Oostburg Republicans.

62 Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - September 30, Road funding draws fire at Manitowoc forum County residents and local officials met Thursday night as a part of the statewide Turnout for Transportation effort to bring people together at the same time on the same night to begin a statewide dialogue on transportation issues and infrastructure funding. The event was part of the Transportation Development Association s Just Fix It campaign. All 72 counties in Wisconsin took part, including Manitowoc County. Government leaders, such as Manitowoc County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer, State Rep. Paul Tittl and Two Rivers City Manager Greg Buckley, attended Thursday s forum to hear comments by the public and to make some of their own. Lee Engelbrecht, town chairman for the Town of Two Creeks, County Unit chairman for Manitowoc County for the Towns Association and president of the Wisconsin Towns Association, facilitated the discussion. Doing nothing is not an option that we can consider, we just can t, Tittl said. We need to look at this for our future, we need to look at these towns we need to listen to them when they are gathering in such a mass to tell us this problem. Tittl said he plans to relay to other state officials, particularly to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the frustration many local officials feel with the lack of funding to maintain and improve infrastructure throughout the state. This is part of what I signed up for four years ago and I think this will actually yield some results, he said. I think we need more people, besides town officials, contacting our offices and telling us what they would like. People who attended the event were given a state transportation overview that showed an increase of 4 percent in funding through general transportation aids. That increase equals just $88 more per mile for towns. "Yes, it s an increase, but it nearly doesn t help us at all, Engelbrecht said. Engelbrecht said the state may look at various avenues of funding road improvements in the future, including, but not limited to, an increase in gasoline taxes, registration fees and tolling. Everything is on the table, he said. That should be left up to the legislation and how they want to get the money. In the proposed state budget for , counties would receive $212 million through general transportation aids and municipalities would receive $30 million, $23 million of which would go to the cities and villages while $7 million would go to the towns. We re doing the bare minimum at the local level we re not doing the basic maintenance we need to be doing as far as crack filling on our concrete streets, maybe chip sealing to extend life, asphalt overlays, Buckley said. And you re already seeing in our local communities, I would say certainly in our cities, where projects that are deferred maintenance are turning into reconstructs. Jim Brey, chairman of both the Manitowoc County Board of Supervisors and the City of Manitowoc Common Council, said he believes the county should start discussions about the possibility of raising sales tax to help alleviate the pressure of funding road improvements. I think the discussion of a sales tax, especially related to transportation costs, in the county, the cities, the towns and the villages in our county would be warranted, he said. And I think that

63 discussion will be coming next year. However, I will reiterate, it s definitely the State of Wisconsin s responsibility, and we need to see some action come out of it. However, when the topic of increasing sales taxes came up during the meeting, Ziegelbauer said the county board would listen to a proposal to raise the sales tax, but he would not support it. Because there is never enough, he said. That won t solve your problems. How much do you want to raise the gasoline tax? That is what this meeting is called for, to get interest in supporting the gasoline tax. My point is that it is never enough 10 cents, 20 cents, it will never be enough. Jim Froelich of the Town of Kossuth said county residents don t have the money to support any tax increases. You ve got to admit, we ve lost a lot of jobs, Froelich said. Nobody s going after jobs. We can raise taxes all we want, but you ve got to have money to pay them taxes. Our people don t have any more money. There are no jobs here, we don t pay them anything here. We re losing businesses and nobody is going after a new business. Our people have to work if they re going to pay taxes. Throughout the meeting, 18 people from the public, including government leaders from various departments, spoke about the difficulties they face funding road improvements and seeing roads being misused by oversized vehicles. Well, it s frustrating, you know, said Joel Aulik of the Town of Liberty. We borrowed $234,000 to do 2 miles of road and the taxpayers are picking that up. And we re going on a 180- year cycle for replacing our roads. Do you know a road that lasts 180 years? At the end of the meeting, Engelbrecht encouraged the people who attended to take further steps to continue the dialogue about the condition of the state s infrastructure. Those steps can be found at Tittl also said he wants people to call his office to tell him and other state officials what they would like to see from the state. Tittl s toll-free number is and people are encouraged to leave a voic if they call after hours. Kenosha News - September 30, ortfalls_ php Area officials call for action to address road funding shortfalls: Many projects delayed as state DOT assistance dries up Representatives of Kenosha area governments and agencies met Thursday as part of an unprecedented call to action seeking state help with highway and road maintenance. At issue is the continued decrease in Wisconsin s overall spending on transportation projects. The next two-year DOT budget proposal calls for no tax or fee increases as part of a budget that will decrease from $6.8 billion to $6.5 billion and a reduction in overall project bonding. The budget for transportation over the next biennium also includes includes in local aid, general transportation and for local road improvements. However, those increases are not enough to keep up with inflation, according to local leaders. Mayor John Antaramian, who co-hosted the local event with Paris Town Board Supervisor Ron Kammerzelt, said several years ago he served on seven-member committee that addressed funding and maintenance planning for transportation. According to Antaramian, that committee met for a year and a half, made its recommendations and the Legislature and the governor tossed it.

64 Antaramian said while he s hopeful the dialogue with local leaders can yield dialogues necessary for their unified front, he s a tad bit unsure the legislature is going to do anything. The reality is, if we re going to do anything with this budget, hey have to raise some revenues, Antaramian said. Up until now all they ve done is borrowed money. One of the things the committee realized was that borrowing to repair and maintain the state s major transportation infrastructure was unsustainable. Ron Iwen, city transportation director, said that funding via sales tax, gas tax and even a toll may need to be considered. It s real simple, we gotta knock on the governor s door. We need a funding source. Wages are going up where they taking money from? Roads, he said. We need to have a revenue stream. Terry Burns, Paddock Lake Village Board president, said the village had plans to install a water main on Highway 50 and deferred special assessments to fund it. Since that stretch of highway had been readied for repaving, however, the state s lack of paving funds has forced the Department of Transportation to delayed its reconstruction. It makes it extremely difficult to plan infrastructure improvements when they don t know when they re going to tear that up, he said. We just did all the sewer and all the manhole risers that were collapsing. That couldn t wait until they decided to write a check. Brighton Town Board Chairman John Kiel said two years ago, the town planned to repair roads, but high bids and lack of state funding forced it to reject all proposals. Patch work has been done along some trouble spots, such as parts of Ninth Street and 224th Avenue where the road shoulders are collapsing. The town also has gravel roads that have needed maintenance and residents have been providing the labor in exchange for town-provided materials. Let s have some meaningful money to towns for maintenance. Our infrastructure matters, he said. Kammerzelt said similarly, rural roads in Paris, paved initially to facilitate transportation for dairy farmers, were not meant to handle the current 90,000 pounds of weight continually going over them. This is a region that, right now, is on fire, he said. We should be thinking about expanding transportation so that goods can get from here and back more efficiently and not cutting projects. It s important to (Interstate) 94 and basically every road. City Hall was the venue for the area s Turnout for Transportation meeting, held concurrently with similar meetings in 70 other counties throughout the state. The meeting was part of the Just Fix It campaign coordinated by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Counties Association and Wisconsin Towns Association. More than a dozen representatives from local governments, agencies and the public attended Thursday s meeting.

65 WSAU 550AM 99.9FM Wausau - September 30, "Just Fix It" Meetings Across Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants to put more money towards local and state road maintenance over the next two years, but there are still some who want a more permanent revenue solution. The Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin Held a town hall meeting in almost every county Thursday night for their "Just Fix It" campaign, taking ideas from taxpayers and bringing them to state legislators to work towards a solution. Marathon County Highway Commissioner Jim Griesbach conducted the Marathon County meeting. He appreciates Walker's efforts to help, but he also believes it's just a stop gap. Griesbach said, "It's great for the short term, but just to maintain our roads doesn't work. We need to build roads, we have roads and bridges that need to be rebuilt here, not just in Marathon County, but throughout the state. Stopping mega projects just to fund those is not a complete solution." The Transportation Development Association has suggested higher vehicle registration fees or an increase on the gas tax to help raise revenue specifically for road projects. Griesbach thinks the gas tax would be better as a percentage rather than a fixed amount. He said, "Most taxes are a percentage base. The gas tax is actually cents on the dollar, so while the vehicles' [gas] milages are increasing, over the years we've actually declined at about 2.5% of funding in the transportation fund. It it were a percentage, those funds would be going up." It may take a while to establish the kind of solution that the TDA is looking for. Governor Walker has insisted that he would veto any bill that raises cost to taxpayers on this issue, but even Assembly Republicans have been pushing back at him on that position.

66 Portage Daily Register - September 30, 'Just fix' roads? The devil is in the details WYOCENA In all likelihood, most of the approximately 60 attendees at Thursday s Turnout For Transportation got there by driving over some pretty bumpy roads. Whether they were talking about state highways like Highway 33 or 22, Columbia County highways like A near Doylestown or V near Lodi, or town roads in any of the county s 21 towns, there was no one expressing disagreement with the evening s catchphrase: Just Fix It. The meeting at the Columbia County Highway Department was one of 71 similar sessions held Thursday throughout Wisconsin, in partnership with the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. The devil, as always, was in the details mainly, where to find the money. Steve Rubert, chairman of the town of Fountain Prairie, contended that it s not possible to aim, simultaneously, for low taxes and well-maintained infrastructure. At the state level, they re not putting money into roads, he said. The roads are becoming dangerous. We have a higher accident rate on town roads. We have potholes all over the place, and we can t fix the shoulders. Jim Foley who is both chairman of the Columbia County Board s Highway Committee and chairman of the town of Leeds cautioned participants against making political statements, yet acknowledged that state government has a key role in addressing problems with the infrastructure. I ll tell you right now, Foley said, there s not a town road good enough to carry 124,000 pounds. Foley s allusion to 124,000 pounds expanded on an observation made earlier in the session by Columbia County Highway Commissioner Chris Hardy: That sometimes federal transportation regulations, over which state and local officials have no control, can adversely affect local roads. For example, he said, federal law allows milk trucks weighing up to 124,000 pounds to travel on roads even town roads that aren t built to handle that much weight. Hardy painted a grim picture of Columbia County s road maintenance and replacement needs, versus the amount of money needed to fulfill those needs. Columbia County should be replacing its deteriorated roads on a 30-year schedule, he said, but with available revenue, what the Highway Department is working with is closer to a 50-year schedule. And the longer the road waits, Hardy said, the more it costs. Cities like Portage also face challenges in keeping their streets in good repair, said Portage City Administrator Shawn Murphy. He showed a color-coded map of Portage s city streets (there are 55 miles of them), with more than half of them needing reconditioning or resurfacing. And that doesn t count the roads whose surfaces are in relatively good shape, but which may have water and sewer pipes under them that have been there, unchanged, for a century or more, he said. Meanwhile, state money available to local communities for road work has been mostly flat over the last several years though the costs of road repair, including materials such as asphalt, have climbed. The costs haven t been flat, as you know, Murphy said. We re getting farther and farther behind.

67 Wayne Emerson, a trucker who lives in Wyocena, observed that Portage has been a bottleneck for transportation since its inception, when 17th- and 18th-century French fur traders had to get out of their canoes and portage between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers the source of the city s name. Today, Emerson said, that bottleneck includes Highway 33 through downtown Portage. People often complain about large semi-tractor-trailers going through downtown, but Emerson said truckers don t like to use that road, either. Where is the money going for transportation? he asked. I think you ll see that, if we don t improve our roads, we re going to throttle the future economy. Hardy noted that the sources of money for road repairs, in Wisconsin, consist mainly of revenue from per-gallon fuel taxes and proceeds from vehicle registration. State Rep. Keith Ripp, R-Lodi, chairman of the Wisconsin Assembly s Transportation Committee, noted that the Legislature, under the previous administration of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, had raided the transportation fund to balance the state s budget. (That also happened under the administration of Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson.) Ripp said he disagrees with the transportation funding proposal for the biennial budget, which includes: No increases in taxes or fees; $6.5 billion in transportation spending (compared to $6.8 billion in the current biennium); Bonding (borrowing) of $500 million, which would $350 million less than current levels; An increase in local transportation aids totaling $65 million and A cut of $46.3 million in capital expenditures in the highway program. More needs to be done for roads, Ripp said, but he reminded attendees that the current situation was years in the making. Murphy said several municipalities, including Portage, are considering a wheel tax for transportation purposes. This is a local fee, paid at the time of vehicle registration, that affects most cars and trucks that weigh 8,000 pounds or less. One thing to be cautious of, said Dekorra Town Chairman Mike Dorshorst, is borrowing. If a municipality borrows a great deal of money for a road project, he said, then in future years it has to put its revenue toward repaying the debt, leaving less available to care for the municipality s other roads. Hardy urged attendees to make their voices heard by contacting their state lawmakers. Also, he pointed to an interactive Internet site, where people can pinpoint, on a map, areas of roads that need repair, and specify what s wrong with the road. Go to and click on Share Your Story.

68 Your Daily Globe Ironwood MI - September 30, Iron officials search for fix to road funding issues Iron County and local officials took part in a statewide Turnout for Transportation meeting Thursday night to discuss the lack of adequate road funding in Wisconsin. Meetings happened simultaneously in every county in the state. Iron County Highway Commissioner Mike Swartz said a meeting like this had never been done before and indicated how serious the state s road funding problem is. After a short video featuring representatives that sponsored the meeting including the Wisconsin Counties Association, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and the Wisconsin Towns Association officials representing Iron County s towns and cities talked about the issues a lack of finances created for them when trying to maintain their roads. While the budget Gov. Scott Walker has proposed for the fiscal year increases the amount of funding counties and local municipalities will receive for assistance with road repairs, Swartz told the Daily Globe, the money isn t enough for much of anything beyond temporary stop-gap measures. Several attendees echoed a complaint raised in the video that while the funding is enough to perform some basic repairs, such as chipsealing roads, these were bandages that ignored the problems below the road surface. Multiple town representatives said some of the older roads in their communities still had wood as a road base. I think (the video) hit the nail on the head with what s underneath the roads, and probably everybody in the county has that, where (the roads) are old logging roads with timbers still underneath them that come up in the spring, Oma Town Chairman Steve Finco said, specifically mentioning Riverside Road as a problem for the town. That s so soft, it keeps going down, down, down the whole road sinks. We can t haul enough gravel to keep the road above grade. The use of antiquated materials, like wood, means the repairs don t last as long as they would with more modern construction methods meaning the towns are spending more on repairs while being unable to afford the more complete fixes necessary to keep the roads in good shape. Several representatives also discussed the increasing difficulty of obtaining gravel to do work on the unpaved roads in their communities. The problem maintaining some roads has gotten so bad the price of paving is estimated to have doubled in the last several years that some towns are converting roads back to gravel. Fixes like this can sometimes create different problems, with Carey s Bob Walesewicz saying dust is sometimes an issue for homeowners who have houses built near what used to be paved roads that are now gravel. Some of these repairs we re doing, these Band Aids, actually are creating other issues that we are then having to go back and readdress again because we weren t able to fix it properly because we re broke, Walesewicz said. We couldn t grind and reset that asphalt because we can t afford it. With everyone agreeing the roads are in bad shape and need to be fixed, talk turned to the problem with the way the state generates revenue for roads specifically the gas tax.

69 With cars becoming increasingly fuel efficient, Walesewicz said there was no indication the annual decrease in demand for gasoline was going to be reversed, meaning revenue from the gas tax would continue to decline. The funding mechanism that the states are dealing with, that Wisconsin is dealing with, is really flawed, Walesewicz said. The formula, right now, is flawed and (state legislators) are going to have to come up with something. A number of solutions to the decline in gas tax revenues were discussed, including increasing the tax, imposing a wheel tax on vehicles or imposing a.5 percent sales tax on purchases. Regardless of the chosen solution, there seemed to be agreement that a decision couldn t be put off much longer. Nobody wants to raise the taxes but everybody wants the services and that s the way it is, Gurney s Tom Innes said. Even if there is a way to increase revenue, such as raising the gas tax, that might not generate the amount of revenue needed. Walesewicz estimated, based on the amount of gas sold in Iron County, that a 10-cent increase to the gas tax would generate $460,000 in additional revenue. While this sounds like a substantial increase, Swartz told the Daily Globe one mile of road costs roughly $100,000 to repave meaning a 10-cent increase would only pay for an additional 4.6 miles of paving. Swartz said the county alone is responsible for maintaining roughly 66.7 miles of county trunk roads. While there is a concern about whether rural counties even had the capabilities to generate the necessary revenue themselves, another concern was also raised about whether the money would be evenly distributed throughout the state or be kept in the larger metropolitan areas. We don t want to fight for what we generate, we need more than we generate, Walesewicz said. A solution to this fear would be to implement the changed system at a county level, rather than statewide, to ensure each county was at least receiving its own revenue. The towns aren t the only ones have troubling keeping up with the necessary work to maintain roads. Swartz said that if Iron County was to replace the 66.7 miles of county roads every 20 years, its workers would have to do work on roughly 3 miles of road per year. According to Swartz, work is currently being done on roughly 1.2 to 1.7 miles each year. Other than talking about possible solutions, there is little local municipalities can do without state action to solve the overall problems. (Resolutions and contacting legislators are) about the only leverage we have, Innes said. The meeting ended with an agreement that Iron County, along with every town and city, would pass a resolution demanding action from Walker and the state government in the hope that enough counties express the desire for action that the state is forced to act. City of Sheboygan Mayor's Blog: Mike Vandersteen - September 30, Turnout for Transportation According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Wisconsin s roads are in bad shape, ranking Wisconsin the 3rd worst in the nation for road conditions. The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance and American Society of Civil Engineers have also independently reported Wisconsin s

70 transportation system is badly deteriorating. A recent study showed drivers in Milwaukee and Madison alone are spending more than $600 per year in vehicle repairs. In Sheboygan County, work on State Highway 23 continues to be delayed, and sadly, many residents and visitors know all too well how dangerous it can be. In an effort to raise greater awareness and support for maintaining our State transportation system, Sheboygan County hosted a Turnout for Transportation public forum Thursday evening, with nearly 100 people attending. County, city, town and village officials, members of the business community and the public were in attendance and learned more about the condition of our state s transportation system, escalating costs, and ongoing revenue challenges. The forum was part of the Transportation Development Association s Just Fix It campaign. A total of 70 meetings were held across the state to urge the Governor and Legislature to agree on and pass a sustainable solution for road repairs across Wisconsin that includes a responsible level of bonding and adjusts our user fees to adequately and sustainably fund Wisconsin s multi-modal transportation system. These include local roads, bridges, the conversion of Highway 23 from two to four lanes and additional support for our transit operations. These meetings allowed for statewide dialogue about the condition of Wisconsin s infrastructure, impact to Wisconsin residents and businesses, and the need for a sustainable solution. Speakers provided an overview of the Governor s proposed transportation budget, discussion on transportation costs and trends, and shared specific examples of transportation challenges. Senator Devin LeMahieu and Representative Terry Katsma also participated. Speakers included County Board Chairman Tom Wegner, County Administrator Adam Payne, County Transportation Director Greg Schnell, Sheboygan Mayor Mike Vandersteen, City of Sheboygan Director of Public Works David Biebel, Plymouth Mayor Don Pohlman, Village of Elkhart Lake President Alan Rudnick, Wisconsin Towns Association Unit Chairman William Goehring, Town of Lima Chairman Charles Born, and Town of Scott Chairman Randy Narbatovics. Our transportation system is a key to Wisconsin s economy, job growth and our quality of life said County Board Chairman Tom Wegner. We must work together to establish a sustainable solution to our transportation challenges. Overall, the Governor s recently proposed state transportation budget does not include an increase in new revenue for maintaining and improving our transportation system. As a result, some major projects will continue to be delayed, including State Highway 23 for at least another three years. According to the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau, when the State Highway 23 project was first approved in 1999, the estimated cost was $42 million. Today, due to ongoing delays and inflation, the project is estimated to cost $146 million. Deficient highways, roads and bridges impact our safety and economy on a daily basis. Sheboygan County agriculture alone generates $3.1 billion in economic activity, and a safe and reliable transportation system is essential, said William Goehring, Wisconsin Towns Association Unit Chairman. We are falling further and further behind. If we don t maintain our roads today, it is going to cost much more down the road, Goehring said. We hope these transportation forums will help spur more dialogue and bring people together to discuss the challenges we face. The Governor and our State Legislators need to work together on a long-term solution, said County Board Chairman Tom Wegner.

71 News Release on Wheeler Report - September 30, Rep. Dianne Hesselbein to State Leaders: Fix the Roads or Take a Hike Wisconsin s roads and the state s transportation planning and funding systems are broken. It s time for state leaders to quit making excuses and just fix it. That was what I heard from local leaders last night, at Thursday s Turnout for Transportation meeting for Dane County, said Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton). There was a high level of frustration. The meeting at the Madison Municipal Building was one of 72 scheduled statewide by the Wisconsin Transportation Development Association. The sessions put a spotlight on the Capitol stalemate over funding between Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-led Legislature. The co-owner of a restaurant in the Verona construction zone said the state s off-again, on-again funding model is anti-business. There is no predictability. Verona Mayor Jon Hockamer complained about bad roads impeding emergency vehicles. "We have EMS runs where we can't get down the damn road," he said. Municipal leaders said they are doing what they can to plug potholes, but state levy limits keep them from doing more. County elderly and disabled transportation assistance services also are funded by the gas tax, which has not had an increase in 10 years. The message was loud and clear, Hesselbein said. Citizens and businesses need to tell state government leaders, when it comes to roads, to fix it or take a hike. Northlands News Center - KBJR & KDLH Television, Superior - September 29, Wisconsin html Infrastructure forums held simultaneously across Wisconsin A first of its kind event in Wisconsin Thursday night brought together counties and cities, to talk about fixing the state's infrastructure. Leaders in more than 70 counties had meetings tonight, allowing the public to weigh in on what needs to be done or fixed, regarding transportation and infrastructure. The event in Superior was attended by people from all over Douglas County. Leaders and residents shared ideas, trying to develop a long-term plan. "The simple message that's being sent from these 71 meetings, covering all 72 counties in Wisconsin, is that our transportation funding system in Wisconsin is broken. Our message is, just fix it," said Douglas County Administrator Andy Lisak. If you weren't able to make it Thursday night, the initiative is also accepting public comment online. WBAY ABC Green Bay - September 29, Transportation forum in Appleton calls on officials to fix roads A transportation forum was held Thursday evening at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton to urge state officials to fix roads. The event was called Turnout For Transit. Event organizers are holding the forums in all of Wisconsin s counties to bring more attention to the state transportation budget. Gov. Scott Walker has said he wants to delay road projects and rely on borrowing rather than raising the gas tax and vehicle registration fees.

72 Outagamie County Highway Commissioner Dean Steingraber attended Thursday s forum. He says he wants state officials to fix the problem of not having enough revenue to fix roads. What everybody is saying is that there s just not enough money out there to be able to go fix the systems, Steingraber said. Town roads, city streets, village streets, county roads, state roads projects are being pushed back, and they can t be pushed back anymore. They re falling apart, and they need to be fixed. The forum was a way to see what each area s needs are and how county leaders can work with the state to meet those needs. We Are Green Bay WFRV - September 29, Turnout for Transportation forums held around the state While the governor and state lawmakers figure out how to fill the transportation budget this year, people across Wisconsin are telling them to just fix it. Leaders of Wisconsin's three local governmental associations held a simultaneous meeting Thursday night in 71 Wisconsin counties to address transportation issues. The meetings are meant to give every Wisconsinite a chance to voice their opinions on transportation issues in their area and work with leaders to find solutions for the future. "For the counties, towns, cities and villages all to get together on the same night, on the same topic has never been done before. This is absolutely a first of its kind event," said Jerry Deschane, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. "This event puts a spotlight on what our members know: Wisconsin's transportation system is a system. It's not just about town and county roads, city streets and interstates. It's about how all aspects of our transportation system work together." "If our state is to be successful, our private sector needs to be successful," said Mark O'Connell, executive director of the Wisconsin Counties Association. "One of the primary components of a successful private sector is a high-functioning, well-maintained and safe transportation infrastructure." Executive Director Mike Koles of the Wisconsin Towns Association added, "We need to make sure we get the maximum benefit from every taxpayer dollar, and believe me we do. But now, a lack of resources is leading to inefficiencies. If we don't have the resources to invest in a road maintenance plan that allows the road to last years, that is not a wise use of taxpayer funds." [List of meeting sites] WMTV NBC15 Madison - September 29, Dane County Turnout for Transportation highlights Verona Road construction project Dane County joined 71 other counties in Wisconsin hosting "Turnout for Transportation" events. There were requests for improvements to the Madison Metro, deteriorating County Roads, and disability transportation. One woman stood up and voiced the concerns she has for her business that's been affected by the Verona Road construction project that was recently delayed two years. "The businesses going out to where the construction has been temporarily delayed... Alot of them may not make it," Steve Grindle, owner of Gino's Italian Deli, said.

73 His has seen many road construction projects in it's 30 plus years of service, but he says this project has been the worst. "Everything infront of us was ripped out and redone," Grindle said. "Since then, our business has come back." But, he worries for other businesses in the current phase of the Verona Road construction project. Fox 21 Superior - September 29, Just Fix It Campaign Brings Awareness to Rising Transportation Costs in Wisconsin 71 meetings were held simultaneously to send a message to officials in Madison that local governments want more money for transportation. For the first time ever, communities across Wisconsin held 71 simultaneous meetings about transportation. Organizers behind the Just Fix It campaign said they want to send a clear message to Madison that they need to address the problems when it comes to fixing and maintaining roads. "Instead of kicking the can down the road year after year, budget after budget, it's time to sit down and make some hard decisions and fix the transportation funding system," said Andy Lisak, Douglas County administrator. Douglas County officials say they have nearly 327 miles of road and are only able to maintain a fraction of them unless additional state funding comes through. WEAU NBC13 Eau Claire - September 29, Wisconsin html Turnout for Transportation meetings held across Wisconsin Town hall meetings were held all across Wisconsin Thursday night to discuss one topic: transportation funding. The statewide event called "Turnout for Transportation" was organized by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties Association, and the Wisconsin Towns Association. The goal was to raise awareness about the need for more funding for the transportation system. Eau Claire County's meeting took place at the Expo Center. Eau Claire County Highway Commissioner Jon Johnson led the discussion. He said the transportation system needs new revenue sources and the problem can't keep getting kicked down the road. The 2017 to 2019 budget proposal submitted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation does not include any tax or fee increases -- as was the directive from Governor Walker. However, people at Thursday's meeting said more money is needed to fix roads. In Eau Claire County, Johnson said there are 144 miles of failing highways. The county gets $2.8 million in general transportation aids, but needs $36.8 million to fix those 144 miles.

74 "So right now, if we were to freeze time and say nothing else was going to happen to our transportation system, it would take 20 years with the current funding just to fix those failing roads," said Eau Claire County Highway Commissioner Jon Johnson. Johnson said Eau Claire County currently borrows funds for roads with bonding, but that isn't a long-term solution. How do you get more revenue? Johnson said whether that's a higher fuel tax or increased registration fees or a sales tax - that's for the legislature to decide. The goal with Thursday's statewide meetings was to raise awareness and get people to contact their legislators to do something. During a stop at UW-Stout Thursday, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch said Governor Walker is making sure Wisconsin has safe and dependable roadways. WAOW ABC9 Wausau - September 29, Transportation budget talks continue statewide Counties in Wisconsin participated in a statewide event Thursday night called "Turnout for Transportation." The goal of the meeting was for highway officials, city leaders and the public to voice their concerns over crumbling infrastructure in their communities and to suggest solutions. "We can come up with as many good ideas as we can, it comes down to legislatures want to take a look at funding something long term," said Marathon County highway commissioner Jim Griesbach. Around 50 people turned out for the event in Marathon County all citing the same problem, a lack of funding to fix the roads. Early September, Governor Scott Walker announced the budget proposal from the Department of Transportation, in that counties and local municipalities would receive more money. City leaders said that might not be enough. "Would be great if that does happen, it's a step in the right direction," said Griesbach. "It's great for the short term, but to maintain our roads, doesn't work, we need to build roads, we have roads, bridges that need rebuilt here." This was the first meeting like this to happen in every county statewide at the same time. City leaders said they'll take information from tonight to legislators. WEAU NBC13 Eau Claire - September 29, Stout-visit html Kleefisch talks about transportation funding during UW-Stout visit Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch says Governor Walker is making sure Wisconsin has safe and dependable roadways. She made those comments while at the annual Manufacturing Advantage Conference and Technology Showcase at UW-Stout Thursday. She was talking about the "Turnout for Transportation" events where construction workers, residents, private businesses, and local agencies will gather to discuss a long-term plan for road construction. Kleefisch says you can expect to hear about financing for safer roads when Gov. Walker presents his next budget early next year.

75 "The Governor has already said that he is going to invest to make sure our municipalities and counties see the type of aide they need and make sure we have safe roadways and dependable infrastructure in order to grow industry but also to protect the drivers in the future," explains Kleefisch. "Turnout for Transportation" events are taking place in all of Wisconsin's 72 counties Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

76 Shawano Leader - September 29, Shawano County joins call for highway funds - Local leaders bemoan state deadlock Crumbling infrastructure and insufficient maintenance brought Shawano County leaders together Thursday as part of a statewide push for improved state funding for roads and bridges. Representatives of cities, towns and villages countywide called for state lawmakers to break a deadlock over the correct manner of increasing highway funding in the state budget. The gathering at the Shawano County Courthouse was part of a statewide effort, dubbed Turnout For Transportation, to apply pressure on Gov. Scott Walker and legislative leaders in Madison. In one of several such meetings that were planned throughout the state Thursday, participants took turns highlighting the infrastructure needs in their hometowns and expressing dissatisfaction with the state s inability to agree on sources of adequate funding. It s just a downward trend, Herman Town Chairman Joe DeBaker said of the deteriorating quality of roads in his community. You look down the road, and the future ain t bright. DeBaker joined more than 30 other local leaders from Shawano, Bonduel, Wittenberg, Birnamwood, Red Springs, Green Valley and elsewhere, in what organizers hoped would create statewide momentum for forging a solution to the standoff in state government. The event occurred as state leaders grapple with conflicting proposals for addressing the state s infrastructure needs. Republicans led by Walker have advocated borrowing money to avoid tax or fee increases, while Democratic leaders have pushed for raising the state gas tax to avoid incurring more debt. As the deadlock deepens, funding for road and bridge maintenance in the county and elsewhere has grown flat or worse. County Highway Commissioner Grant Bystol and his staff outlined Thursday how tight funding has forced the county to cut back on road upkeep, as well as repairs to 15 bridges throughout the county that are classified as structurally deficient. Bystol cautioned the city, town and village representatives that infrastructure woes would worsen if more resources are not allocated. Wisconsin needs a sustainable solution, he told the crowd. That s why we re all here tonight. Joining forces to launch the Turnout For Transportation effort were the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Towns Association and the Wisconsin Counties Association. Organizers called it an historic statewide mobilization for improved infrastructure. This is an absolutely first-of-its-kind event, League of Wisconsin Municipalities executive director Jerry Deschane said in a prepared statement. It s not just about town and county roads and city streets and interstates. It s about how all aspects of our transportation work together. In addition to Shawano County, other gatherings were held Thursday in Green Bay, Fond Du Lac, Oshkosh, Sturgeon Bay, Oconto, Crivitz and elsewhere. Organizers did not advocate any specific solution in the debate over raising taxes or increasing borrowing, but they urged participants to contact state lawmakers and push for a strategy to increase highway funding. Richmond Town Clerk Rick Stadelman said state-mandated tax caps have limited local government s ability to raise revenue, and Walker s insistence on avoiding state tax increases has squeezed the state budget. Borrowing to fund state government, meanwhile, has driven debt payments so high that resources for basic state programs have grown even more scarce, Stadelman said.

77 At some point, we ve got to bite the bullet and raise the funds we need, he said. Shawano public works coordinator Eddie Sheppard told the crowd that city crews have resorted to superficial patchwork on some roads because of inadequate resources to undertake needed rebuilding efforts. Sheppard joined others in expressing frustration at the city s crumbling infrastructure. The money is just not there, he said. There s just no money to do anything beyond the bare minimum. WQOW ABC18 Eau Claire - September 28, Turnout for Transportation event asks residents to weigh in on road projects An unprecedented event is giving drivers the chance to voice their concerns to the people that fix them. The event is called Turnout for Transportation and is being held in every county across the state - - at the same time. Government officials, including representatives of county highway departments, as well as members of the business community and the public will gather to discuss projects critical to that county. "We're going to have a big map there and everybody can put a little dot on the map where they're from," Chippewa County Highway Commissioner Brian Kelley said. "We can send a picture of that map to the state and say 'look, in Chippewa County, we have a lot of interest in fixing our roads.'" The public is also encouraged to share their road struggle story on the Turnout for Transportation website. The event is Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 7 p.m. In Chippewa County, the meeting will be held at the highway department building. The Eau Claire event is held at the Eau Claire County Exposition Center off of Highway 93. La Crosse Tribune - September 28, b378-b5bbc63356f0.html Forum highlights need to fix roads The Transportation Development Authority and local officials will host a Turnout for Transportation meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the county highway shop, 301 Carlson Road, across Hwy. 16 from Veterans Memorial Park near West Salem. La Crosse County Highway Commissioner Ron Chamberlain, Town of Farmington Chair Mike Hesse and Onalaska Mayor Joe Chilsen will discuss the importance of fixing local roads as part of a statewide series of forums Thursday.

78 WJFW Rhinelander - September 28, Transportation Development Association encourages people to "Turnout for Transportation" Thursday night City, county, and town leaders hope you Turn Out for Transportation Thursday night. Seventyone of the state's 72 counties will hold public forums for people to learn more about the state's transportation budget. The idea comes from the "Just Fix It" campaign, which many counties have signed encouraging state lawmakers to find a better way to pay for roadwork. You can find the location and time for your county's meeting via the link below. 610-KDAL Duluth/Superior - September 28, Douglas County Transportation Meeting Douglas County is holding one of 71 public meetings across Wisconsin to get input on critical transportation projects and to find a sustainable solution to the state's transportation challenges. The "Turnout for Transportation" events are part of the Transportation Development Association's "Just FIx It" campaign that began last year. The Douglas County meeting will be held at 7 p-m Thursday in the County Board Chambers of the Government Center in Superior. The meeting is hosted by County Administrator Andy Lisak and Town of Lakeside Board Chair and WTA County Unit Chair Tom Johnson. The event is open to the public and more information can be found at TurnoutForTransportation.com

79 The Sheboygan Press - September 28, Mike Vandersteen - Opinion piece: Turnout for transportation The Sheboygan City Council recently approved the Just Fix It resolution. The resolution is sponsored by the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Transportation Development Association. The Sheboygan City Council urges the governor and Legislature to agree on and pass a sustainable solution for road repairs across Wisconsin that includes a responsible level of bonding and adjusts our user fees to adequately and sustainably fund Wisconsin s multimodal transportation system. These projects include the conversion of Highway 23 from two to four lanes. The Just Fix it partnership is holding a Turnout for Transportation at 7 p.m., Thursday in conference room 372 of the Sheboygan County Health and Human Services Building, 1011 N. Eighth St., Sheboygan. Networking and refreshments begin at 6:30 p.m., and the formal meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Meeting highlights include an overview of the proposed Wisconsin Department of Transportation budget, testimonies from local municipal leaders and discussion. This unprecedented event will call on county, city, town and village officials from all 72 counties in Wisconsin to meet in 72 simultaneous meetings to bring attention to transportation funding. These meetings will focus on critical projects in Sheboygan County and the need for the state to find a sustainable solution to fund future transportation projects. The municipalities receive transportation funding from two state programs, General Transportation Aids and Transportation & Connecting Highway Aid. The city of Sheboygan saw a decrease of 10.6 percent, almost a $200,000 decrease in funding, from these programs during the past five years. This decrease came during a time when cities were constrained by tax levy caps that prevented municipalities from budgeting funds to pick up the difference. Deteriorating roads cost all of us more in car repairs. Each year, Sheboygan schedules street reconstruction and resurfacing projects. The city uses a rating system to catalog the condition of all road surfaces along with the traffic counts to determine the roads to be included in the annual list of road projects. The 2016 resurfacing projects completed by private contractors totaled $1,667, They included South 17th Street from Maryland to Arizona avenues, Saemann Avenue from North 20th Street to Calumet Drive, North Sixth Street from Niagara to Superior avenues, Kentucky Avenue from South Ninth to South Eighth streets, Georgia Avenue from South Ninth to South Eighth streets and South Ninth Street from Indiana to Georgia avenues. Asphalt overlays were also completed by the city Streets Department totaling $151,688. On these roads they have installed a complete asphalt overlay of the failing concrete road surface. These projects include the Taylor Heights frontage road, intersection of North 20th Street and Cooper Avenue, North 20th Street from Calumet to Geele Avenue, North Avenue from North Seventh to North 10th streets, Sauk Trail from Union Avenue to Broadway, Blackstock Avenue from North Third to North Sixth streets. This fall, the reconstruction of the interchange located at State Highway 28 and Taylor Drive will be completed. Also this fall, the intersection of Washington Avenue (State Highway 28) and Taylor Drive will be reconstructed. Mike Vandersteen is mayor of Sheboygan.

80 WSAU Radio Wausau September 28, 2016 Craig Thompson interview Baraboo News Republic - September 28, a277a56352b.html Leaders lobby for road funding Municipal leaders from across Sauk County will gather Thursday to lobby for improved state road funding. The Turnout for Transportation will be held at 7 p.m. in room B24 of the West Square Building in downtown Baraboo. Local leaders goal is to push state lawmakers to establish an adequate, sustainable method for funding road work. We will be able to be heard with one voice, said Baraboo Mayor Mike Palm. Ed Geick, Baraboo s city administrator, said money has been tight both for the state s own highway projects and aid to local municipalities. It s been very limited the past few years, as we all know, Geick told the City Council on Tuesday, and projects have gotten behind. The council unanimously approved a resolution asking for improved transportation funding. The resolution notes that a report commissioned by the Local Government Institute of Wisconsin found the condition of the state s highways ranks in the bottom third nationally. State funding has failed to keep up with costs, declining from $275 per capita in 2000 to $227 in Any state reduction means an increase in the local levy, Alderman Joel Petty said. It s got to come from somewhere. Based on wording provided by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the resolution calls for increases to the state gas tax and vehicle registration fees, and asks the state to stop relying on borrowing as a stop-gap funding source. Municipal leaders in all 72 counties are gathering for the Turnout for Transportation. Sauk County officials will watch an informational video, develop a list of needed highway projects and discuss a strategy for addressing transportation issues. Those issues are evident this week in Baraboo, which is paying $500,000 to repair Highway 33 because the state couldn t or wouldn t take on the project. As we speak, we re out spending money to get one of our major highways in driveable condition, Palm said. Leaders plan to sign a letter to be sent to legislators and the governor, asking for highway help as the legislative session nears and the state s two-year budget is written. I don t know how much it ll be listened to, Petty said, but I want to be optimistic that they will take this information and use it as part of the legislative process when they re looking at the next biennial budget.

81 WEAU Eau Claire - September 28, counties-at-same-time-thursday html "Turnout for Transportation" event to take place in all 72 counties at same time Thursday The public will have a chance to voice their concerns about the roads in Wisconsin. An event called "Turnout for Transportation will take place in all 72 counties at the same time throughout the state of Wisconsin Thursday night. The meetings will be held at 7 p.m. A broad group of people including construction workers, private businesses, and local agencies will gather to discuss a long-term solution for fixing Wisconsin roads. Steve Dickinsen, Town Chair of Garfield, recently sent a letter to Governor Walker asking him to come up with a long-term plan for road reconstruction. "A lot of frustration from the local folks. Why can't my road be paved? They come to Town Hall and ask when is it going to happen? And my answer is there is no plan for that to ever happen at this point, unless something changes drastically," said Dickinsen. We reached out to Governor Walker's office for a response, but have not yet heard back. The Eau Claire County meeting will be held Thursday, September 29th at the Eau Claire County Expo Center. The Chippewa County meeting will be at the Chippewa County Highway Department. Again, all meetings start at the same time, at 7 p.m. Daily Jefferson County Union - September 27, First Jefferson County Council of Governments meeting Thursday About 50 people are expected to attend the first-ever Jefferson County Council of Governments meeting on Thursday, Sept. 29. Open to the public, the event takes place at the Jefferson County Fair Park Activity Center. It will begin with a meet-and-greet at 5:30 p.m., followed by a light meal, with the program itself beginning at 6 p.m. The chief elected officials of each unit of government within Jefferson County, the county legislative delegation and the chief administrative officials for the units of government that have one were invited to the gathering. There will be county, municipalities and towns reports and then a lightly structured discussion about how we can work together, Jefferson County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Jim Schroeder said. This is a first-time thing, so we re trying to keep it kind of informal. Really, the main purpose is just to get to know each other. We all have challenges, he continued. Some of us have the same challenges, no matter if it s a town or the state Legislature, and some of us have unique challenges. We want to give people and opportunity to talk about those so that we can understand each other better. Jefferson County Administrator Ben Wehmeier, who originally proposed the idea of holding the event, agreed. At the end of the day, we re all in this together, Wehmeier said. When we started looking at services being provided, it impacts everyone the same. So there s opportunities that we can work together to provide efficient and effective services. This is one way toward that. Wehmeier said that it could be any type of service, pointing to the use of brine by community public works as an example.

82 The brine is used in coordination with the county highway shops, he said. So there s a service that we can make from an economy of sales standpoint of providing brine. The communities don t have to make that investment in terms of actual plant production, just in the equipment to distribute it. It s an easy location (to access) and it s an opportunity to provide a unique service that couldn t be provided before. Schroeder and Wehmeier said the discussion topics can be whatever the attendees wish to speak about. At 7 p.m., there will be a presentation of a statewide transportation summit aired. The (summit) was set afterwe set this date for the Council of Governments, Wehmeier said. They re asking every county to host this (summit) for everybody, so we thought this might be a good way to do it. The event is expected to conclude at 8 p.m., but Wehmeir said it might run longer to accommodate the transportation summit. Baraboo News Republic - September 26, ff5d09.html Baraboo seeks changes in highway funding Baraboo is joining municipalities across Wisconsin in asking lawmakers to change the way road work is funded. On Monday, the City Council s public safety committee voted unanimously to approve a resolution asking for improved transportation funding. City leaders said state highway allocations haven t kept up with needs, and they re asking the governor and legislators for help. It s an age-old problem: How do we pay for infrastructure? said City Engineer Tom Pinion. This is just bringing it to the forefront. The full council will consider the resolution which is based on wording provided by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities on Tuesday. On Thursday, a Turnout for Transportation event will be held at the West Square Building to rally support for reform. Mayor Mike Palm said such events will be held in all 72 counties, featuring an educational video and discussions. We re asking the legislators to look at sustainable, realistic ways of funding roads across the state, Palm said. The idea here is to work with other counties so we have a unified voice coming into the legislative session. The resolution notes that a report commissioned by the Local Government Institute of Wisconsin found the condition of Wisconsin s highways ranks in the bottom third nationally. It states that state funding has failed to keep up with costs, declining from $275 per capita in 2000 to $227 in Levy limits prevent municipalities from making up the difference. The resolution also notes the city is paying $500,000 to repair Highway 33 this year because the state couldn t or wouldn t tackle the project. It calls for increases to the state gas tax and vehicle registration fees, and asks the state to stop relying on borrowing as a stop-gap funding source. Aldermen said they couldn t agree more. How can we make it stronger? said Alderman Phil Wedekind.

83 Portage Daily Register - September 26, b5e63062c.html 'Turnout for Transportation' spotlights road-related issues If you have ever wanted to tell someone in authority that a particular road needs fixing or if you have ideas about how, and how much, Wisconsin should pay for fixing its roads Thursday night is your chance to speak out. People from all 72 Wisconsin counties especially municipal government officials are invited to Turnout for Transportation, described as the first-of-its-kind town hall meeting on transportation-related issues. Columbia County s meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Columbia County Highway Department administration offices, in the second-floor conference room, at 338 Old Highway 16 Road, Wyocena. Columbia County Highway Commissioner Chris Hardy said the county is partnering with the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities to put on the sessions, to generate support for solving the state s transportation shortfall. Columbia County is one of many municipal government bodies throughout Wisconsin to adopt a Just Fix It resolution, promoted by the state s Transportation Development Association to facilitate discussion and action regarding the state s infrastructure. Turnout for Transportation is one component of the TDA s Just Fix It effort, to address the impact of transportation, and roads in need of repair, on the state s economy, and on residents and businesses. With the exception of a joint meeting for Bayfield and Ashland counties in northern Wisconsin to be held at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland each Wisconsin county is hosting its own Turnout for Transportation session at 7 p.m. Thursday. Sessions in counties surrounding Columbia County are planned for: Adams County Adams County Community Center, 569 N. Cedar St., Adams. Dane County Madison Municipal Building, room 260, 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Madison. Dodge County Highway shop, 211 E. Center St., Juneau Green Lake County Green Lake Government Center, training room, 571 County Highway A, Green Lake. Marquette County Harris Town Hall and Community Center, W4987 County Highway J, Westfield. Sauk County West Square Building, room B24, 505 Broadway St., Baraboo.

84 Pierce County Herald - September 26, Will Just Fix It bring relief to Wisconsin motorists? Wisconsin roads are some of the worst in the nation. That s with 71 percent of state roads in poor (or) mediocre condition and 14 percent of bridges designated as structurally deficient / functionally obsolete, according to data from the American Society of Civil Engineers 2013 Report Card for America s Infrastructure and Federal Highway Administration. Hoping to combat this, the Transportation Development Association and the Wisconsin Counties and Towns Association partnered up to put in motion a campaign to push for a more immediate remedy called Just Fix It. At the Sept. 6 Pierce County Finance and Personnel Committee meeting, members approved the resolution moving, it to review by the full Pierce County Board of Supervisors. According to a report put out by the TDA, more than 365 municipalities (including counties, cities, towns and villages) have passed the same resolution as of Sept. 9, 2016 to urge the Legislature and governor to develop a sustainable plan for fixing Wisconsin s roads. The resolution lays out that the result should be one that includes a responsible level of bonding and adjusts our user fees to adequately and sustainably fund Wisconsin s transportation system. Currently, Levy limits do not allow local government to make up for the deterioration of state funding. Pierce County Highway Commissioner Chad Johnson outlined the plans from the highway department, saying the levy needs in 2017 (a portion of a 5-year plan) will total $4,816,035; what will be allotted is estimated at $3,259,000. If these numbers prove true, Johnson says that, We will have to decide what $1.56 million of projects or maintenance we are not going to do. Levy limits plus what we acquire via state programs do not keep up with the life cycles of the different components of the infrastructure, and the state highways in the County are facing similar funding battles, said Johnson. If the resolution passes, it wouldn t necessarily mean instant action, as it is an advisory resolution. A realistic expectation would be that there would be more funding in the near future for state programs that the County fully utilizes such as the Local Road Improvement Program and general transportation aids, said Johnson. In the meantime, residents of Wisconsin are encouraged by the JFI campaign to share their stories about the roads on which they drive at The campaign also has an initiative to have residents communicate directly with state representatives, senators and the governor about the issue. More information on that can be found at The Pierce County Highway Department is holding a special meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 at the Highway Department shop (621 W. Cairns St., Ellsworth) to discuss transportationrelated issues with the boards of various municipalities. Topics will include the current condition of roads, culverts and bridges in the county; impacts on safety and the economy; and sustainable funding.

85 The Chippewa Herald - September 26, Chippewa County forum spotlights road needs A meeting at the Chippewa County Highway Department starting at 7 p.m. Thursday will be part of a 72-county effort focusing on town, village and city, county and state road needs. The session is called Turnout for Transportation, and will be at the department at 801 E. Grand Ave. in Chippewa Falls. The meeting is being conducted by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Wisconsin County Highway Association. Their partners in the sessions include the Wisconsin Towns Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. The session is intended for the business community and public to have a forum on critical transportation projects and how the state can pay for them on a sustainable basis. Northwoods Radio - September 26, Lincoln County 'Turnout for Transporation' Town Hall Lincoln County Officials have announced their participation later this week in a statewide event urging legislators and the governor to reach a road funding agreement. Local governments are seeking to bring about more sustainable funding of roads and highways across the state. They say property tax levy limits have prevented local government from raising enough money for local road repairs and state gas taxes and vehicle registration fees are increasingly being used to pay state debts. More than 350 counties and municipalities including Lincoln County have already passed the Just Fix It resolution. Coming up on Thursday they ll be hosting a town-hall style meeting called Turnout for Transportation. Counties across the state are planning similar events. That meeting is at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Lincoln County Service Center.

86 WKOW ABC Madison September 25, Craig Thompson discusses transportation funding and Turnout for Transportation on Capital City Sunday TV program.

87 Peshtigo Times September 25, Door County Daily News September 24, "Turnout For Transportation" Forum Next Thursday To Address Future Road Issues City, county and town officials from all 72 counties in Wisconsin will gather Thursday, September 29 to discuss critical projects and services and a way to find a sustainable solution to Wisconsin s transportation challenge. Locally, the forum will be hosted by John Kolodziez, Door County Highway Commissioner and Roy Englebert, Town of Forestville and County Towns Association. Englebert says rural roads face challenges in the future. The forum will be held at the Door County Government Center starting at 7:00 PM next Thursday and will be open for the public to observe. This first-time ever event is sponsored by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association and the Wisconsin County Highway Association. For more information on the Turnout for Transportation event go to

88 WDOR Radio - September 24, Turnout for Transportation City, county and town officials from across Wisconsin will gather at individual meetings on Thursday, September 29th to discuss the ramifications of the state transportation challenge. Door County Highway Commissioner John Kolodziej says the county meeting will be held at the government center in Sturgeon Bay on that day. He explains why the meeting has been called for all of the state s 72 counties [Audio Player] Kolodziej hopes the general public will attend the meeting and get involved in the dialogue. [listen to Audio Player] The Turnout for Transportation, on Thursday, September 29th, is sponsored by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties, the Wisconsin Towns, and the Wisconsin County Highway Associations. Visit for more information. Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - September 23, Highways town hall event at Expo The Manitowoc County Expo Grounds will be where the county plans to site the local version of a statewide series of town hall -style events aimed at addressing highway and other transportation issues. The Just Fix It event, part of the Turnout for Transportation series of meetings planned in counties across the state, will be at 7 p.m., Sept. 29, in the Expo Grounds Merchants Building. The Wisconsin County Highway Association, among the groups helping lead the push to host the events around the state, has more about what it calls town hall -type events at wiscohwy.org. The Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities are also partnering to help put on the programs.

89 Superior Telegram - September 23, Meeting encourages dialogue on state transportation issues Douglas County will host one of 71 public meetings across Wisconsin that will happen simultaneously on Thursday as part of a statewide "Turnout for Transportation" event. County, city, town and village officials, plus members of the business community and the public, will have a forum for their voices to be heard regarding critical transportation projects and services in our community and the need for the state to find a sustainable solution to Wisconsin's transportation challenge. "Turnout for Transportation" is part of the Transportation Development Association's "Just Fix It" campaign that started last year. The purpose of the campaign is to facilitate a statewide dialogue about the condition of Wisconsin's infrastructure and the impact on Wisconsin residents and businesses. The Douglas County event will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in Board Room 201 of the Government Center, hosted by Douglas County Administrator Andy Lisak and town of Lakeside Board Chairman and Wisconsin Towns Association county unit chairman, Tom Johnson. Those interested in sharing their concerns about transportation issues in Douglas County prior to the meeting are encouraged to do so at: The event is open to the public. The Sheboygan Press - September 22, Highways town hall scheduled Officials from around the county are expected to highlight highway and other transportationrelated issues at a Just Fix It meeting in downtown Sheboygan this month. The meeting, part of a statewide campaign targeting transportation issues in counties across Wisconsin, will run 6:30-9 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Sheboygan County Health and Human Services Department building, 1011 N. Eighth St. The meeting will highlight trends in transportation costs and state funding to cover them, along with transportation needs and the cost to address them in several of the cities, villages and townships in the county. Similar meetings, billed by the Wisconsin County Highway Association as town hall -style programs, are slated to run in other counties around Wisconsin the same day. They re all part of the state s Turnout for Transportation campaign aimed at highlighting highway and other transportation-related issues. The highway association, which is helping push the events, has more information at wiscohwy.org.

90 Milton Courier - September 22, Turnout for Transportation calls for solutions Three local governmental associations will hold an event drawing attention to the need to find a sustainable solution to Wisconsin s transportation challenge. Turnout for Transportation will be held 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. The event will involve meetings in 71 counties. In Rock County, the event will take place at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport, 1716 W. Airport Road, Janesville. County, city, town and village officials plus members of the business community and the public will have a forum for their voices to be heard regarding critical projects and services in each region. Turnout for Transportation organizers encourage people to turn out to be counted and share online ( how transportation is important to business and the community. Projects across the state are at risk of being eliminated, the Just Fix It website warns. For the counties, towns, cities and villages all to get together on the same night, on the same topic has never been done before. This is absolutely a first of its kind event, said Jerry Deschane, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities in a Turnout for Transportation news release. This event puts a spotlight on what our members know: Wisconsin s transportation system is a system. It s not just about town and county roads, city streets and interstates. It s about how all aspects of our transportation system work together. Turnout for Transportation is part of the Transportation Development Association s Just Fix It campaign, which started last year. The purpose of the campaign is to facilitate a statewide dialogue about the condition of Wisconsin s infrastructure and the impact on Wisconsin residents and businesses. Executive Director Mike Koles of the Wisconsin Towns Association said, We need to make sure we get the maximum benefit from every taxpayer dollar, and believe me, we do. But now, a lack of resources is leading to inefficiencies. If we don t have the resources to invest in a road maintenance plan that allows the road to last years, that is not a wise use of taxpayer funds. If You Go What? Turn out for Transportation When? 7 p.m. on Sept. 29 Where? Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport, 1716 W. Airport Rd. Janesville More than 400 municipalities have passed a resolution urging state elected officials to support a sustainable solution: one that includes a responsible level of bonding and adjusts user fees to adequately and sustainably fund Wisconsin s transportation system. The municipalities include: Rock County, City of Milton, Town of Fulton, Town of Harmony, Town of Janesville and Town of Lima. Their resolutions point out: Local government in Wisconsin is responsible for about 90 percent of the road miles in the state. Wisconsin s diverse economy is dependent upon county and town roads as well as city and village streets and transit systems across the state. According to Filling Potholes: A New Look at Funding Local Transportation in Wisconsin, commissioned by the Local Government Institute of Wisconsin, the condition of Wisconsin s highways is now in the bottom third of the country.

91 Levy limits do not allow local government to make up for the deterioration of state funding. Wisconsin s over-reliance on borrowing eats away at the state s segregated funding sources the state gas tax and vehicle registration fees which increasingly pay debt service rather than fund transportation needs. From a competitive standpoint Wisconsin motorists pay significantly less than any of our neighbors when you combine the annual cost of the state gas tax and vehicle registration fees. The Transportation Finance and Policy Commission, appointed by the governor and legislature found that if Wisconsin does not adjust its user fees, the condition of state and local roads will deteriorate significantly over the next decade. Merrill Foto News - September 22, Lincoln County signs on to Just Fix It campaign Lincoln County has signed on to a statewide alliance of public and private entities seeking more transportation funding to maintain roads. A campaign dubbed Just Fix It is bringing pressure on Gov. Scott Walker and state legislators to adequately fund for the upkeep of local roads in Wisconsin. More than 400 entities are allied in a quest with the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin to bring about more sustainable funding of roads and highways across the state. The county board cited sources that Wisconsin highway conditions are losing ground to most states in upkeep and repair. A resolution approved by the county board at the last meeting said state funding of local road maintenance had failed to keep up with costs, and cited a commissioned study that said municipal per capita spending on roads had declined. Property tax levy limits have prevented local government from raising enough money for local road repairs and state gas taxes and vehicle registration fees are increasingly being used to pay state debts, alliance backers say. The resolution forwarded to Walker and state lawmakers said Wisconsin motorists pay significantly less than any of our neighbors when you combine the annual cost of state gas tax and vehicle registration fees. The transportation finance and policy commission, appointed by Walker and the Wisconsin Legislature, clearly found that state and local roads will deteriorate significantly over the next decade unless Wisconsin adjusts its user fees. The Wisconsin League of Municipalities, Wisconsin Towns Association and the Wisconsin Counties Association said over 365 governing bodies are so far supporting the Just Fix It initiative. They will be co-hosting town hall type meetings across the state on Sept. 29 to rally support for more road funding. These meetings named, Turnout for Transportation are being hosted in every county on that night. Lincoln County will be hosting the local meeting for those backing the Just Fix It campaign at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Lincoln County Service Center, 801 N. Sales St., Room 257 in Merrill. The general public is encouraged to attend.

92 WSAU - September 22, Lincoln Co. Joins Road Funding Alliance Lincoln County has joined campaign dubbed Just Fix It to try and convince Governor Scott Walker and state legislators to provide more funding for local roads. More than 400 groups have joined the campaign with the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin. The Lincoln County board cited sources that Wisconsin highway conditions are losing ground to most states in upkeep and repair. A resolution approved by the county board at their latest meeting said state funding of local road maintenance had failed to keep up with costs, and cited a commissioned study that said municipal per capita spending on roads had declined. Every county will be co-hosting town hall meetings across the state on Thursday, Sept. 29th at 7 p.m. to rally support for more road funding. These meetings named, Turnout for Transportation." Lincoln County's meeting will be held at the Lincoln County Service Center. Lacrosse Tribune/Jackson County Chronicle - September 21, Governor's transportation funding plan gets cool reception While Gov. Scott Walker traveled the state Thursday touting the increase in state funding for local transportation in his proposed budget, county officials and state lawmakers, including some from his own party, took a dim view of the plan he unveiled this week. The General Transportation Aid Program portion of the budget includes an 8 percent increase for counties and a 4.7 percent increase for municipalities. If the transportation aid funding formula remains the same, the budget would give La Crosse County an additional $127,000 during the biennium. I really don t want to sound ungrateful, but it is not a long-term solution to a problem that has been plaguing the whole state for many, many years, La Crosse County Board Chair Tara Johnson said. It s just taking the same pie and cutting it up differently. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said in a prepared statement the proposed transportation spending plan ignores transportation needs and bipartisan calls for a sustainable transportation revenue source. Meanwhile, four Republican Assembly leaders issued a statement criticizing Walker s proposal. It is a political solution, not a real solution, the statement said. The proposed state transportation budget delays some major highway projects in other parts of the state, cutting $447 million from state highway programs while increasing state spending for road maintenance by $70 million and offering $65 million more for local governments. Walker s budget proposal cuts overall transportation spending from $6.8 billion this biennium to $6.5 billion for Walker s plan calls for borrowing $500 million for transportation spending, down from the $1.3 billion he proposed in the last biennium and $350 million less than the bonding eventually approved by the Legislature. According to the state s Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the state needs $939 million more just to pay for projects that already have been approved. Jackson County would see an increase of a total $92,000 under the proposal, which Highway Commissioner Randy Anderson said amounts to less than a half-mile of paving work.

93 My opinion is a budget that provides for less than an additional half-mile of paving really miss the mark, Anderson said. We need a long-term sustainable transportation budget that meets our current needs not one that falls this short. In La Crosse County Highway Commissioner Ron Chamberlain s view, an increase in local transportation funding is a step in the right direction, but Walker s proposed budget is a tiny step. I m not complaining at all about increases. It s been going the other way for years, so seeing an increase is good, Chamberlain said. The magnitude of that increase does not compare well with the magnitude of the need. Getting an additional $127,000 in state road funding over two years, he said, won t go very far considering the county has an $89 million to-do list when it comes to county roads. Those are the needs that are identified today, Chamberlain said. The needs include failing pavements, bridges in need of replacement, resurfacing and stormwater issues. Towns, villages and cities are in the same boat and the statewide organizations representing them have joined with the Wisconsin Counties Association in supporting the Just Fix It campaign spearheaded by the Transportation Development Association. Craig Thompson, the TDA s executive director, called Walker s budget short-sighted and troubling. It does not provide a coherent plan or vision for the state. It would provide, for the next two years, needed investment at the local level, but at the expense of important economic corridors, Thompson said in a statement. Crucial safety improvements called for by WisDOT on some of the busiest stretches of interstate in Wisconsin would not proceed. The question is: If we are not going to rebuild 60-year-old segments of the interstate system now, when are we? The TDA is ramping up pressure going into the fall elections, sponsoring a series of Turnout for Transportation meetings on Sept. 29, with meetings planned in 71 counties at which county and municipal officials, business owners and citizens are being urged to weigh in on how important it is to fix the road system and the road funding system. La Crosse County s Turnout for Transportation meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at the county highway shop, at 301 Carlson Road, across Highway 16 from Veterans Memorial Park near West Salem. Jackson County s meeting is set for 7 p.m. in the county board room at the courthouse on Main Street in Black River Falls. Johnson emphasized that bringing the state s roads up to snuff is something that should be viewed as an important issue for the business community. Safe roads matter to economic development on a very foundational level and this budget does nothing to acknowledge that, she said. At what point will we as a state take a serious long-term look at state transportation needs?

94 Republican Journal - September 21, Leaders plan Statewide Transportation Event Leaders of Wisconsin's three local governmental associations announce an unprecedented, statewide event - Turnout for Transportation, Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m. The event will involve meetings in 71 counties, with a joint meeting for the counties of Ashland and Bayfield. County, city, town and village officials plus members of the business community and the public will have a forum for their voices to be heard regarding critical projects and services in each region and the need for the state to find a sustainable solution to Wisconsin's transportation challenge. The Lafayette County Turn-out for Transportation meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the basement of Town Bank facilitated by Highway Commissioner Tom Jean and hosted by: Jack Larson - Lamont Town Chairman and Wisconsin Towns Association Chapter President, Duane Larson - Lafayette County Highway Committee Chairman and Brad Bockhop, Belmont Village President. "For the counties, towns, cities and villages all to get together on the same night, on the same topic has never been done before. This is absolutely a first of its kind event," said Jerry Deschane, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. "This event puts a spotlight on what our members know: Wisconsin's transportation system is a system. It's not just about town and county roads, city streets and interstates. Price County Review September 21, Turnout for Transportation, biennial budget updates given A new statewide interactive town hall event called Turnout for Transportation is rolling out at locations in 71 Wisconsin counties Thursday, Sept. 29 just after the Wisconsin Department of Transportation unveiled its budget proposal for The Price County Courthouse is set to serve as the local location for this event, which gets underway at 7 p.m. Price County Highway Commissioner Don Grande and Dale Houdek, Wisconsin Towns Association vice chair person from the Town of Emery, will be hosts for the Price County event. This first of its kind statewide forum came as the product of efforts by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Wisconsin County Highway to lead an interactive town hall event that would include the voices of all county, municipal and town officials across the state of Wisconsin, according to a news release on the meetings. The aim of the events, held in partnership with the Wisconsin Towns Association and League of Wisconsin Municipalities, is to garner support for a solution to Wisconsin's transportation shortfall, the release further states. Price County Highway Commissioner Don Grande said that all transportation stakeholders should plan on attending the meeting. In discussing what participants can expect to take away from the event, Grande stated that it should leave them with a sense of unity when it comes to the overall issues faced with the current state of public infrastructure in Wisconsin. This is a great opportunity, and first of its kind, where all local municipalities can gain a unified voice and communicate to the legislator that the time has come to sustainably fund

95 transportation. With levy limits and increased construction costs, we can no longer sustain the status quo, Grande stated. As highway commissioner, Grande said that he hoped to drive home the point that everyone is in the same position concerning the issue of public transportation. I want the public to understand that we have capitalized on the efficiencies we can and eliminated the waste, but unless we make the investment and create sustainable funding sources the system will continue to fall into disrepair, Grande stated. Biennial budget Based on projected figures in the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's (DOT) proposed budget for , 12 northern counties, including Price, are poised to see a general transportation aid increase of 12.9 percent from 2017 to The bottom line is this budget proposal includes greater funding at all levels of local government for roads and bridges, renews our focus on traffic safety and road maintenance, and most importantly, does not increase taxes or fees for the good people of Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker is quoted as saying in a news release from his office. As discussed in the same news release, the proposed biennial DOT budget incorporates the greatest year-to-year adjustment in local road aids since the budget cycle. Among other highlights, the budget proposal includes a 25 percent boost in the Local Road Improvement Program and a 30 percent spike in state funding to the Local Bridge Program. Beyond that, the proposed budget directs over $672 million at general transportation aids for state municipalities and $212 million at such funding for its counties. Those are increases of 4.7 percent and 8.1 percent in the respective categories. Grande reflected on the proposed biennial budget saying that in some ways it did sufficiently address concerns laid out in a resolution of the Price County Board this August and in other ways, it did not. With the governor's renewed support of maintenance and the local roads program, it is a step in the right direction. The missing element and the reason behind the town hall is the lack of sustainable funding, Grande stated. He added that it was made clear from the governor's perspective that no additional taxes or fees are to be leveraged onto state taxpayers with the budget. While from an ideological standpoint I fully support this claim, I do understand however that we cannot continue to kick the proverbial can down the road when it comes to funding, Grande stated. While the governor and legislators have provided local municipalities with several new tools over the last two budget cycles, including Acts 10 and 32 and the repeal of prevailing wage, Grande said that long-term funding has yet to be addressed. In order to keep fees and taxes flat in transportation, we will need to cut services and this tends to be on the improvement side, Granded stated, adding that this results in a backlog when it comes to maintenance work with an increased cost inevitably following. Some additional actions Grande would like to see include repeal of the minimum markup law and incorporation of an inflation factor when it comes to the gas tax. He said that he'd also like to see more studies on potentially implementing tolling as a means to fund mega interstate projects. As explained by Grande, delaying portions of the Zoo Interchange or the I-94 E-W and N-S projects will result in the addition of significant costs to the three road updates. This added cost is on top of the already staggering amount of transportation funding that currently goes towards debt. It s a vicious cycle, Grande said. While this budget addresses

96 pavement preservation, critical safety and maintenance on the state system it does little to sustain the investments or grow the system. With that in mind, Grande explained that he would like to see continued emphasis on improvement projects from a local level and less of an emphasis on the aesthetics that drive costs up. La Crosse Tribune September 19, Roads require long-term solution Wisconsin s roads need more than engineering and concrete. They need leadership and courage. They don t need delays. They don t need answers that only pretend to suit the political whims of today instead of the needs of today and tomorrow. We need leadership the type that requires difficult, potentially unpopular decisions if we re truly going to serve the future of our state s roads and bridges. If Wisconsin is open for business and tourism, we need to make sure our roads are, too. Gov. Scott Walker announced plans last week to delay road projects in Wisconsin. Sadly, that s not what our road system needs. The state s Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates the state needs $939 million to pay for projects that have already been approved. The governor wants to give more money to local governments for road work, but it barely will patch the pothole. Here s an example of his solution and the problem: Under Walker s plan, La Crosse County would receive $127,000 during the next two years. The problem is, La Crosse County has an $89 million to-do list of work that includes failing pavements, bridges in need of replacement, resurfacing and stormwater issues, County Highway Commissioner Ron Chamberlain said. A bandage and a lollipop won t help. Let s look at an opportunity we ve already lost and a possible solution going forward. For 20 years beginning in 1986, Wisconsin raised revenue by automatically indexing its fuel tax each year by a small amount per gallon. Yes, that raised the tax. It also raised millions of dollars to improve our roads. In 2005, the Legislature and then-gov. Jim Doyle agreed to repeal that automatic annual increase. It was an easy, popular quick fix and even some conservative Republicans said it was short-sighted. How much did that cost our transportation fund in revenue? The Legislative Fiscal Bureau reported in March 2015 that the transportation fund had lost more than $1 billion because of the change, which took effect after April So, you do the math: The state needs $939 million to complete approved projects, and we ve lost out on $1 billion because we lacked the leadership and courage to continue the adjustment on a tax that is paid by all who use the roads, including tourists and many other non-wisconsin residents. Our state has a heritage of appointing bipartisan, blue-ribbon committees to improve operations, such as the Kettl Commission, charged more than 15 years ago with studying ways of restructuring government in our state. Since Walker has been governor, we haven t seen that type of collaborative problem-solving, only divide and conquer.

97 Now would be an excellent time to pull together businesses and transportation executives to help policy-makers make sound decisions on funding and fixing Wisconsin roads. We re encouraged that members of both the Republican and Democratic caucuses are unhappy with the governor s approach to fixing our road problem. But will they have the leadership and the courage to do something about it? Will they be able to override a veto from the governor? Will they be able to work together on a solution? We re not optimistic. The Transportation Development Authority will convene constituents throughout the state Sept. 29 to call attention to the problem. It s an excellent opportunity to speak out. TDA Executive Director Craig Thompson said the governor s proposal does not provide a coherent plan or vision for the state. It would provide, for the next two years, needed investment at the local level, but at the expense of important economic corridors. Crucial safety improvements called for by WisDOT on some of the busiest stretches of interstate in Wisconsin would not proceed. The question is: If we are not going to rebuild 60-year-old segments of the interstate system now, when are we? That s exactly the question: If not now, when? During a TDA meeting in Onalaska this summer, businesses like Kwik Trip talked about the increased cost of maintenance and replacement caused by deteriorating roads. Jeff Reichling, Kwik Trip s superintendent of petroleum transportation, said during that meeting: This will only continue to grow as a problem. The safety of our residents and the vibrancy of commerce and tourism are at stake. It s time to find a long-term solution even if it hurts.

98 Winona Daily News - September 15, Buffalo County signs on to 'Just Fix It' campaign, pressuring Walker to fund roads Buffalo County has signed on to a statewide alliance of public and private entities seeking more transportation funding to maintain roads. A campaign dubbed Just Fix It is bringing pressure on Gov. Scott Walker and state legislators to adequately fund upkeep of local roads in Wisconsin. More than 400 entities are allied in a quest with the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin to bring about more sustainable funding of roads and highways across the state. The county board cited sources that Wisconsin highway conditions are losing ground to most states in upkeep and repair. A resolution approved by the county board said state funding of local road maintenance had failed to keep up with costs, and cited a commissioned study that said municipal per capita spending on roads had declined. Property tax levy limits have prevented local government from raising enough money for local road repairs and state gas taxes and vehicle registration fees are increasingly being used to pay state debts, alliance backers say. A resolution forwarded to Walker and state lawmakers said Wisconsin motorists pay significantly less than any of our neighbors when you combine the annual cost of state gas tax and vehicle registration fees. The transportation finance and policy commission, appointed by Walker and the Wisconsin Legislature, clearly found that state and local roads will deteriorate significantly over the next decade unless Wisconsin adjusts its user fees. The Wisconsin League of Municipalities, Towns Association and Wisconsin Counties Association said 365 governing bodies are so far supporting the Just Fix It initiative. A push is on to have meetings across the state Sept. 29 to rally support for more road funding. A meeting for those backing the Just Fix It campaign was scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the county courthouse in Alma. The Sheboygan Press - September 7, Opinion piece - Michael Vandersteen: Ask candidates their legislative priorities At a recent meeting of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, the legislative priorities for the next session of the state Legislature were reviewed with municipal leaders across the state of Wisconsin. The league stressed that when municipal leaders and residents talk to their state representatives, they do listen. So, as we are entering the final stretch of the next election cycle, I am sharing some of these priorities. I hope that you will consider the candidates' positions on these issues and vote for state representatives who will respond to the needs of taxpayers by fixing the shortfall in transportation funding and stopping the shift of the property tax from businesses to homeowners. The Sheboygan City Council recently approved the Just Fix It resolution. This resolution is sponsored by the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Transportation Development Association.

99 The City Council urges the governor and Legislature to agree on and pass a sustainable solution for road repairs across Wisconsin that includes a responsible level of bonding and adjusts our user fees to adequately and sustainably fund Wisconsin s multi-modal transportation system. These projects include the conversion of Highway 23 from two to four lanes. The Just Fix it partnership is promoting a Turnout for Transportation at 7 p.m. Sept. 29. This unprecedented event will call on county, city, town, and village officials from all 72 counties in Wisconsin to meet in 72 simultaneous meetings to bring attention to transportation. These meetings will focus on critical projects in your region and the need for the state to find a sustainable solution. Stay tuned for more information on this event in Sheboygan County. Another priority is the continuation of the personal property tax. In Sheboygan, all property is valued each year at market value and is assessed at 100 percent of market value as of Jan. 1. Property, for tax purposes, falls into two broad categories: real estate and personal property. Within these categories are several subsections. Locally assessed real estate is broken into single-family homes, condominiums and apartment buildings, commercial and agricultural properties. Personal property consists of machinery, furniture, fixtures and other types of property used in the course of business or commerce. These two categories are assessed by the city assessor. The remaining tax base is valued by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and consists of manufacturing properties, both real and personal. Last session there was a serious move to eliminate the personal property tax by the Legislature. While getting rid of a tax sounds quite attractive to many individuals, in reality the personal property tax that businesses and manufacturers pay on their equipment could be shifted to the property tax. This would increase the tax burden on homeowners. The assessed values for real estate in the city of Sheboygan for 2015 were $2,301,604,100 and the personal property value is $96,441,540. The personal is just over 4 percent of the total assessed value. The assessed value of personal property in the city of Sheboygan generates $2,671,749 for all of the taxing entities. The taxing entities include Sheboygan County, Sheboygan Area School District, Lakeshore Technical College, the Sheboygan Recreation Department and the city of Sheboygan. If the personal property was eliminated for all taxing entities it would transfer $2,671,749 from businesses to the real estate property tax. Please consider asking the candidates for the Wisconsin Assembly their positions on these two important priorities. The city of Sheboygan will work with the individuals who are elected to represent us in Madison to recognize these priorities and their importance to Sheboygan and our residents. Mike Vandersteen is the mayor of Sheboygan.

100 ONLINE WisBusiness September 22,

101 InBusiness - Blaska s Bring It! Blog September 19, Today s blog is extra special deplorable for the basket weavers in the peanut gallery. Nothing is as cohesive or disciplined as a legislature with a one-vote majority. But give any party some cushion and watch its members go free range. That is what is happening to Scott Walker and his Republican legislature. Battle lines are drawn over transportation funding. It is a face-off of two pet causes dear and near to every conservative: tax cuts versus good roads. The governor made his bones as a tax cutter. But other rock-solid conservatives like Speaker Robin Vos, Joint Finance Committee chairman John Nygren, and rural Lodi Republican Rep. Keith Ripp demand major road repairs and construction and that will cost money. And they may have support from Democrats! Facing a $1 billion shortfall, Walker proposes increasing maintenance by $70 million and $65 million for local roads over the next two years, but overall transportation spending (mostly roads but also airports, freight rail, and mass transit) would be cut by $447.4 million. The governor would borrow $500 million to make ends meet. Major projects, like Verona Road at Raymond Road would be delayed. (Works for me.) But many of Wisconsin s roads are crumbling, this motorcyclist attests. TRIP, a national transportation research group, puts 42% of main Wisconsin roads in mediocre to poor condition; in the Madison area, it s 68%. The problem: Fuel-efficient vehicles are using less gasoline, thereby paying less gasoline tax. Electric vehicles avoid the gas tax altogether. It doesn t help that Jim Doyle raided the transportation fund to balance the budget. Limited sources of revenue Which brings up another point: transportation spending does not come out of the sales and income tax-funded general fund. Wisconsin finances road construction and maintenance from just three sources: the gas tax, vehicle registrations, and federal contributions. Various proposals have been floated to increase transportation funding. In 2013, the DOTcommissioned Wisconsin Transportation Finance and Policy Commission proposed: Raising the state gas tax by five cents per gallon (the first increase since 2006) from the current 30.9 cents and switch to a formula rather than a fixed rate; Increasing the fee for the state s eight-year drivers license by $20; and Eliminating the sales tax exemption on the trade-in value of a vehicle. Two years ago, the Department of Transportation floated these ideas: Creating a new 2.5% highway use fee on the purchase price of new automobiles and light trucks; Charging owners of hybrid and electric cars an extra $50 on their registration fee. All told, the proposals would raise $750 million annually and cost the average vehicle owner $120 a year. Proponents claim that s still lower than transportation taxes and fees in neighboring Minnesota and Iowa. Just Fix It The umbrella group pushing road funding is the Transportation Development Association. TDA is a major player. It managed to convince two successive legislatures and the Wisconsin citizens voting in referendum to amend the state constitution to keep the transportation budget off limits

102 from fund raiders like Doyle. That is unprecedented. TDA does not have its own checklist but floats all these proposals as possibilities. TDA s executive director Craig Thompson, formerly of the Wisconsin Counties Association, is one of the wiliest operators in the state capitol, adept at using local officials to push state government. Mark this date: TDA is planning a major PR push across the state with Just Fix It: Turn Out for Transportation meetings of local officials in 71 of the 72 counties Thursday, Sept. 29. Dane County supervisors, town, village, and city officials will meet at 7 p.m. in Room 260 of the Madison Municipal Building. (More here.) It is bound to get news media coverage that will further pressure state legislators and the governor. Their movement has picked up almost 350 resolutions enacted by local governments. (That resolution here.) The campaign is coordinated with the League of Municipalities, the Towns Association, and Wisconsin Counties Association. Don t bet against them. WisPolitics Calendar Listing

103 Waushara County Dodge County

104 Town of Rock Town of Rice Lake Transportation.pdf

105 Lincoln County Town of Sheridan, Dunn County Notice of Possible Quorum: 9/29/16 Turnout for Transportation Notice of a Special Town Board Meeting 7 pm, Thursday, September 29, 2016 Dunn County Judicial Center Multipurpose Room (1402) 615 Stokke Pkwy, Menomonie Agenda The Town Board has been invited to attend a meeting of all local general purpose governments in the county to discuss transportation-related issues. Topics will include the current condition of roads, culverts, and bridges; impacts on safety and economy; and sustainable funding. A quorum of the town board might be in attendance at this meeting; however, no action will be taken by the town board at this meeting. Posted by Suzanne Gaines, Clerk, September 20, 2016, on the town website (sheridantownship.org) and at the Town Hall.

106 Douglas County Town of Cottage Grove

107 Fond du Lac County City of Bayfield

108 Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce

109 Green Lake County Town of Cross

110 Town of Three Lakes Town of Goodman

111 Monona East Side Business Alliance

112 WAPA

113 MADRep

114 WEDA

115 ACEC Wisconsin Local 139