Welcome to the New WTA Website
(01/03/10) The Wisconsin Town’s Association has created a new website as part of a move to a new website host. The switch will allow WTA staff to more easily update and maintain the website. Due to technical problems accessing our prior host server, the move to the new host was made more rapidly than originally planned, so watch for changes and new features as we develop the new site. We also welcome your suggestions.
Please note that most information is being reorganized to the topics listed along the bottom of the header, right above this welcome message.
SB 172 Hearing for Tuesday Feb. 9th has been CANCELLED
(02/08/10) The WI Senate Committee on Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs has cancelled its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 9th due to inclement weather. This meeting would have included discussion of SB 172. No date for re-hearing has been set. WTA will inform members when there is a new date.
Free Form C and Form CT Training
(02/04/10) The WI Dept. of Revenue is offering FREE town officer training for the important Forms C & CT. Click here for the announcement and scheduled locations this March.
Towns Thanked for Help in Opposing County Assessment Proposal
(02/03/10) WTA Executive Director Rick Stadelman has reported that as of January 26, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s (DOR) proposal to move the assessment of real and personal property from the town, village and city level to the county level is dead for this legislative session. He thanked town and village boards that adopted resolutions opposing it (a copy of the sample reoluation is available here). A bill draft was posted by DOR on its website and the agency has released a summary of its proposal. The DOR is expected to push the idea again in the future and the WTA, the Wisconsin Association of Assessing Officers and other stakeholders will closely monitor developments. Local officials are also asked to express their concerns about the plan to legislative candidates. More information can be found in the December WTA magazine and by linking to an article by Rick Stadelman.
2010 District Meetings Agenda Announced
(01/18/10) For 2010 WTA will do a series of 16 District Meetings across Wisconsin, starting in January and lasting through March. This year's training will focus on Board of Review, the new changes made to the Prevailing Wage Rate law and a Legislative Update. For details of the agenda, a copy of the registration form, meeting locations and directions please click here.
WisLine Teleconferences Address Planning, Elections & Other Issues Facing Towns
(12/19/09) Town officials are encouraged to take advantage of live WisLine teleconferences offered by the University of Wisconsin-Extension Local Government Center and cosponsored by WTA. They offer a convenient, low-cost was to learn from presenters who have expert knowledge on a range of topics. Live WisLine teleconference broadcasts originate from the Pyle Center in Madison and are distributed to county Extension offices throughout the state. Each year several WisLine series begin in the fall and continue through the following May or June. Four programs of special interest to town leaders are currently being offered:
Information and copies of brochures may also be obtained from your local county University of Wisconsin-Extension office. Registration questions may be addressed to lgc@uwex.edu, or you may call (608) 262-9961. WisLine programs are also archived for later use. If you have never attended a Local Government Center WisLine program, learn more about them at the All About WisLines page.
Town Officials Invited to March Planning Conference
(01/11/10) Town officials are invited to participate in a two-day planning conference on March 4-5, 2010 at the Monona Terrace in Madison. The conference includes five plenary sessions plus 30 workshop sessions of interest to public officials, citizens, planners and landscape architects. The conference theme is “Creating Resilient and Healthy Communities.” The conference is sponsored by the Wisconsin Chapters of the American Planning Association and the American Society of Landscape Architects. The conference program will be available at www.wisconsinplanners.org or contact: Jessica Barman, Conference Coordinator at jbarman@msa-ps.com or phone 608-242-6609. Early registration is available through February 19 for $199 with Plan Commission Members and Students at $85.
Funds Available to Promote Energy Efficient Business Opportunities
(07/27/09) Wisconsin will receive $28 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for its State Energy Program (SEP). The funds are the first part of the $55 million in ARRA funding the state is receiving for this program. “With these funds, Wisconsin can work with state businesses and take a leadership role in clean energy manufacturing and create good jobs,” Governor Jim Doyle said. The state Department of Commerce will administer the program. Eligible activities include: reducing fossil fuel use in manufacturing by deploying renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies; retooling Wisconsin businesses to enable them to produce components of renewable energy systems and energy efficient products; and, investing in renewable energy projects. Projects must create or retain jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce fossil fuel use and/or deploy renewable energy. Applications and program information will be available at the Commerce website. For more information on the SEP, contact Amy Cumblad at Commerce or David Jenkins at the Office of Energy Independence.
Updated 2009-11 State Budget Summary Available
(07/27/09) Governor Jim Doyle has signed the 2009-11 State Budget (Act 28) into law. Click here to see a summary of budget provisions of interest to towns and villages prepared by WTA Executive Director Rick Stadelman. Click here to see the Governor's veto message. Click here to see the Fiscal Bureau's budget landing page. Key features of what's in and what's out of the final bill include:
(1) General Transportation aids will be $2,055 per mile for 2010 and $2,117 for 2011.
(2) The prevailing wage threshold will become $25,000 for contracts after January 1, 2010.
(3) A proposed public bidding requirement that would have severely restricted the ability of towns to contract for services with a county or another municipality was deleted from the bill.
(4) Proposed changes to use value assessment of ag land were also deleted.
(5) 2010 Shared Revenue payments will be cut 3.5%, with a cap of 15% per municipality (see list).
Wisconsin Wills for Heroes Program Offers Free Clinics to Assist First Responders with Basic Estate Planning Documents
(11/29/09) To support Wisconsin’s first responders who are prepared to pay the ultimate price in the line of duty, a group of volunteer attorneys have worked with the State Bar of Wisconsin to launch the Wisconsin Wills for Heroes program, which offers free preparation of basic estate planning documents to eligible first responders (publicly employed or volunteer police officers, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and their spouses/domestic partners). Trained volunteer attorneys and support personnel will go to locations across Wisconsin at the request of first responder organizations to offer clinics where they will draft basic wills, Living Wills, Health Care Powers of Attorney and Financial Powers of Attorney for eligible first responders and their spouses or domestic partners.
