On February 16, 2010 the University of Wisconsin Extension Local Government Center will host a discussion by two local government officials who have attempted municipal consolidations in Wisconsin and a state official who reviewed those efforts.  Anyone is welcome to participate from a WisLine location at your local County Extension office.  Material and digital audiostreams are available if you are not able to attend but interested in the program.  Read more for registration info.
 

The presentations made at the 4th quarter Energy Independent Communities meeting held at the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay on December 17th are now posted in the "Projects" section of the LGI website.  They and the other presentations from the 2009 Pilot Communities can be accessed here:
http://www.localgovinstitute.org/?q=node/40

The Village of Pewaukee and the City of Pewaukee are exploring the possibility of consolidating the Village and the City into one community.  Prior studies have shown that overall cost savings would result from consolidation.  However, these studies have also shown that the cost savings would not be evenly shared by City and Village residents.  In fact, if the City's and Village's current assets, liabilities and expenses are consolidated, the studies have shown that the City's tax rate would increase

Source: Wisconsin Eye
 
Three local government leaders who just finished their 2010 budgets discussed the funding crisis their communities face, if future governors and legislators can’t agree on a comprehensive reworking of how to pay for state and local services. Appleton Mayor Tim Hannah, Dane County Supervisor Dennis O’Laughlin and Jerry Derr, who for 31 years has been chair of the 3,500-resident Town of Bristol in Dane County, also discussed their expectations of candidates for governor next year.
 
Mayor Hannah and Supervisor O'Laughlin are LGI Board members.
 

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Share of income steady as other states worsen; observers divided

By Dave Umhoefer of the Journal Sentinel

There is still time to register for the final meeting of the 2009 Energy Independent Communities Planning Grant Program.  Come and hear presentations of the plans prepared by the first group of communities in Wisconsin to have prepared energy independence plans.
http://www.localgovinstitute.org/?q=node/107
 

The City and Town of Verona made a significant attempt to consolidate.  Discussions and negotiations from 2005 to 2007 culminated in a referendum in the spring of 2008 in which City voters overwhelmingly approved the consolidation but Town voters rejected the move.  Jon Hockhammer, the Mayor of Verona and City Attorney Richard Nordeng gave a presentation summarizing the consolidation effort at the October 2009 League of Wisconsin Municipalities Conference in Appleton.  They have graciously allowed LGI to post the presentation here.
Click here to view the presentation.

Neville Public Museum,

Presentations from the 3rd Quarter Energy Independent Communities meeting are now posted here.