CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – There hasn’t been a lot of snowfall for the last two winters. Of course, that could change. Who knows what March will bring.
For the last two winters, cities and towns have had left over money in their snow removal budgets. So, where exactly does that money go? It usually gets “plowed” into other projects within the Department of Public Works. Perhaps more potholes will get patched or the worst streets will be paved.
In Wausau last year the snow surplus was six-figures.
I’m suggesting a symbolic but important change. Instead of just re-purposing snow money for something else, how about refunding it to the taxpayers? Cities already have budgets for potholes and paving. Why should those budgets finally get bigger just because there’s leftover money somewhere else? If you overtaxed me for something – like plowing the streets – why not give the money back? I’d be delighted if I received a check for $100 with “snow removal surplus” in the memo-line. Even if the refund were small – $20 or so – I’d be delighted to order a snow-surplus pizza or lunch.
This would also be an important change in mindset. Many people in government think something magical happens to the money I pay in taxes. It’s my money until I pay my tax bill. Then it magically becomes their money – the government’s. So when there’s money left over, a rebate or a tax cut aren’t even discussed.
Look what’s happened at the state level. Wisconsin is sitting on a $4.6-billion surplus. Our governor won’t even consider giving some of it back to taxpayers. Instead he proposes more K-12 school funding. That’s despite a biggest-even increase in school funding in Ever’s first budget, and the governor’s creative use of his veto pen to extend per-pupil increases out for 435 years.
The point is this: where there’s a surplus for snow removal or at the state level, that’s the amount you were overtaxed. There’s nothing wrong with demanding that we get it back.
Chris Conley
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