WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (WSAU) — The city of Wisconsin Rapids has officially implemented a Transportation Utility Fund, putting an end to special assessments charged to property owners for street projects.
Mayor Shane Blaser says he’s glad to see the proposal adopted after nearly a year of discussion, calling it an equitable solution to something that can be an unpleasant surprise for residents and businesses alike. Instead, residents will pay an extra monthly fee on their city utility bills, which will go into a fund used for street repairs. Typical homeowners can expect that fee to add up to about $20 annually. “We won’t see those bills anymore which can be as high as $15,000. It’ll take [someone] a lot of $20 bills to reach $15,000,” said Blaser.
The bills will be issued on residents’ current waterworks and lighting commission bills beginning in July.
Residents that are still paying on previously issued special assessments will not immediately pay into the fund. Those who were assessed them in 2021 will have them canceled and instead they will begin paying in immediately starting this summer.
Blaser says the new fund will also help the city get to more road projects each year, creating a better product for residents. “We should be hitting about 2.3 miles of roadwork every year now. That’s going to help us stay on top of our roads a little bit better and hopefully help our ride quality. Potholes and ride quality are what we seem to notice [most,] and if we can do mill-and-overlay to improve that as long as the infrastructure is good; that’s going to benefit everybody.
“Prior to the utility we would do about a mile, mile and a half of new road construction each year,” added Blaser.
Other topics Blaser discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video: Election recap
5:40- Transportation Utility passes
12:00- Wisconsin Rapids no mow May
17:00- Verso update
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