WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg says she continues to be hopeful that lawmakers in Madison will come to an agreement on a new shared revenue formula for municipalities statewide.
Details of the proposal are still being worked out, including if there will be any strings attached to the funding. But Rosenberg says if the lawmakers do indeed earmark the funds for public safety Wausau should have no problem spending it that way.
“We can definitely make that work because we just hired 13 new firefighters/paramedics. We do have the opportunity to make sure that public safety is being shored up with those funds,” said Rosenberg.
She also says tieing the money to state sales tax funds is a win in her book because it diversifies the city’s revenue stream. Current estimates show Wausau could see a 14% hike in the shared revenue rate under the proposed plan.
Rosenberg adds that she and other local leaders realize property taxes can’t remain on an upward trend, but was non-commital to promising a leveling off or decline in the city’s tax rate for next year. “I feel like it would be malfeasance if I said anything about that. I feel like that’s what I heard Mayors saying, relying on this (property tax increases), asking people to pay more, is not sustainable.
“We are losing folks, and we don’t like that,” added Rosenberg.
RELATED: Republicans Roll Out Shared Revenue Proposal
Republican leaders have been rolling out their shared revenue proposal over the last two weeks, including at an event in Rothschild in late April. Though the plan does come with some stipulations on how the money could be spent. Governor Tony Evers has threatened to veto the measure in its entirety unless changes are made.
Other topics Rosenberg discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- Shared revenue
6:20- Water update
11:10- Favorite summer events
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