James Wigderson opines over at MacIver.
A proposal to allow counties to raise taxes 0.5 percent to pay for road costs is on the highway to passage by the Assembly this week. After cruising through the Assembly transportation committee on a bipartisan 14-0 vote, the bill is scheduled to be considered by the full Assembly on February 9.
The bill, Assembly Bill 210 (AB 210), would allow counties to ask voters in a referendum for a 0.5% sales tax that can only be used for road costs. Using a formula that takes into account road miles and population, the counties would distribute aid to municipalities while keeping some for county road projects. Counties would be required to hold referendums every four years to renew the tax.
[…]
The proposed plan to allow increases in the sales tax county-by-county may have the noble purpose of solving part of the state’s transportation funding problems. But the road to tax hell is paved with good intentions. The bill’s many flaws should cause the legislature to scrap the increased sales tax idea and look for a long term solution to the state’s transportation funding and expenditures.
Go read the whole thing. He’s spot on. It is also worth noting that Wisconsin’s legislative Republicans have found time to legalize switchblades, approve blaze pink for hunting, and push ahead another way to raise taxes, but can’t seem to repeal the minimum markup law. Curious, no?
Odd that wiggy would argue for more local control,
“This mean local voters would be disconnected from the decision of whether to raise the money for additional road expenditures. For example, Racine County as a whole could vote to impose the sales tax, but Caledonia would receive that revenue and pay the tax even if they voted against it, provided there were enough votes for it elsewhere in the county”,
in light of all the recent roll-backs of local control in the past 5+ years under republican leadership. I wonder if he feels the same way about loss of local control over shoreland zoning, land-use, etc. that have been imposed recently?
Man those road builders are powerful…..
Watch the 38 man Washington County Board now try to utilize this….