Local taxing entities across Wisconsin, from townships and school districts to cities and counties, are in the midst of their budget deliberations. Elected officials at the local level are dealing with how to deal with the double whammy of a still-struggling economy and dwindling aid from the state. We’re highlighting many of those developments here in our Ripple Effect series.
Budget problems? What budget problems? More than $23 million in earmarks is making its way to communities around Wisconsin. But one person’s troubling earmark is merely someone else’s pet project.
As we’ve noted numerous times here at the MacIver Institute, the State Budget was 12.8 Billion Dollars of Bad.
$3.63b increased spending
$2.05b increased taxes, fees, enhanced collections
$3.58b of borrowing
$1.50b allowable local property tax hike
+ $2.05b of a structural deficit
$12.81 Billion of Bad
Despite these dire figures, lawmakers still found it acceptable to spend money and use the state’s bonding authority to finance numerous local pork projects. This report from MacIver’s Bill Osmulski looks at the problem with earmarks and pork in the new Wisconsin Budget.
As the Ripple Effect continues to impact communities across the state, it’s worth noting what lawmakers in Madison found the time to fund. Watch this video and when you get your local property tax bill this year and next, just remember: Monkey Bars, Sopranos and Garbage Cans. MacIver’s Bill Osmulski reports from communities across Wisconsin: