The Local Government Center (LGC) at University of Wisconsin Extension is working on the second edition to their publication Performance Measurement, Benchmarking and Outcome-Based Budgeting For Wisconsin Local Government.  In putting together this second edition, the Local Government Center is developing a better set of benchmarks and indices.  They will be working with 20 local units of government (counties, cities, villages and towns) which have agreed to participate in a pilot program to test the new measures developed by the Local Government Center.
 

Arts Wisconsin is pleased to announce the first-ever annual
ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY AWARDS

Case Study Binghamton, NY from Restoring Prosperity, August 2009 Newsletter
http://www.restoringprosperity.org/
  

From the Lincoln Institute:

As another budget season looms for Wisconsin local governments, we are prepared for just how hard a season it will be.  With deflation in home values, the recession eroding incomes, and struggles with massive state budget deficits, we know this will be a very difficult budget season indeed.
 

Survey Results of Local Government Awareness & Readiness to Prepare Energy Plans
 
Energy Independent Communities Pilot Planning Projects:
First Quarter Survey Results
Second Quarter Survey Results

The Local Government Institute of Wisconsin (LGI) conducted a survey of local governments in Wisconsin in June 2009 to gauge awareness of and motivation to engage in planning to achieve energy independence goals. 
 
133 responses were received from counties, cities, villages and towns representing more than 2.5 million Wisconsin residents.  Responses ranged from very rural towns and small villages, such as the Village of Glen Flora, population 95, to our largest cities and counties.
 
Some of the findings include:
53% were aware of the state's Energy Independent Communities program
86% believe that planning for energy independence is a worthwhile endeavor

The Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources and University of Wisconsin Extension recently completed a joint study to determine the impact the Managed Forest Law has on the property tax revenue of towns with managed forest landholdings. 
 
The major finding of the study, based upon 2007 tax data, is that due to the freeze in the shared revenue formula, towns are no longer "held harmless" when managed forest enrollment increases.  The reduction in property tax revenue caused by the enrollment is not offset by additional shared revenue, distributions of yield tax or resource aid payments.  The overall impact to township tax payers works out to $1.90 per $100,000 of value.