Many communities discharge sanitary wastewater to treatment plants in other communities. The communities receiving wastewater from neighbors need to find the best way of recovering, and even reducing, the costs of this service.
Viewing entries in
Finance
Few expenditures irk taxpayers more than funding “bridges to nowhere,” so municipalities must approach spending on transportation assets with care. Municipalities need to offer clear, convincing arguments as to why such spending is needed and what the benefits are. A transportation asset management plan (TAMP) offers a municipality what they need to justify their expenditures.
Water systems across all fifty states have tested positive for lead contamination that threatens the health of those who drink it, especially young children and pregnant women. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there is no safe level of lead, particularly for children. While Wisconsin communities have done a good job of providing safe water, communities can use new legislation to further improve safety.
Water utility alert! Due to the recent change to Wis. Stats. §66.0601(2m)(b), you can transfer the public fire protection (PFP) municipal charges to end-use retail customers without having to reduce your municipal levy limit.
Development drove the need for the City of Oconomowoc to provide new municipal facilities. Impact fees helped them meet the need by providing facilities, such as Fire Station No. 2, to fuel development.
Learn how Oconomowoc was able to fund facilities to attract development through working with R/M on an impact fee study.
Many communities want to grow, but water, wastewater, police, fire, parks, and libraries for new growth are costly. Impact fees fund facilities to attract development and recover the capital cost from new growth.