Legislators have a “fix” for the deplorable shape of local roads. The “Fix” is only going to make things a lot worse and cost tax payers a lot more.
AB 210 would allow communities to adopt a half cent sales tax to pay for local road maintenance. While local roads are in terrible shape, this bill is a very short term fix that will hurt communities for a long time to come.
Why OPPOSE AB 210:
- You are ALREADY paying enough taxes to fix local roads. The problem is that legislators are taking money that is supposed to go back to your community and spending it on expanding highways in the state that are not needed. Tell legislators to stop taking money that is meant for local road repair and spending it on unneeded new highway construction.
- Right now, the gas taxes you pay at the gas station in your community are not returning to your community – they are funding big highway expansion – mostly in southeastern Wisconsin. Despite the fact that you pay gas taxes, about 80% of the cost of local road maintenance (on average) for more cities and villages is paid through property taxes. This bill will simply add yet ANOTHER TAX to cover local roads costs.
- This bill will likely lead to MORE spending on unneeded highway expansion . If this bill becomes law, it will “free up” gas taxes collected in your community and spend more on new highways.
- The state is conducting in audit of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and how it justifies decision to build bigger highways. Any change in taxation should occur AFTER the audit – not now.
- This is the legislature’s gift to the road building lobby. The road building lobby has been scheming for years on ways to get more of your tax dollars to build more highways that are not needed. Legislators are not willing to raise taxes directly but they have figure=d out a way to pass on the buck to local government. This frees up money for the road builders who will show their gratitude by giving large campaign donations to legislators who support them.
Click here to see the letter 1000 Friends and our coalition partners are sending to legislators urging them to reject Assembly Bill 210.