Why Madison has a referendum on the November ballot
Madison’s population and economy have been growing rapidly for more than a decade, driving economic activity throughout the state. However, punitive restrictions placed on us by the State Legislature do not allow residents to benefit from our thriving economy. As a result of Gov. Walker’s Act 10, which placed strict limits on local revenues, Madison has had a structural deficit since 2011.
The State is also underfunding Madison in other ways. Other Wisconsin cities receive an average of $195 per resident in shared revenue annually; Madison receives only $29 per resident. We’re also prohibited from creating a Regional Transit Authority to pay for transportation infrastructure or enacting a sales tax.
We need change at the state level to address the chronic underfunding of local governments in Wisconsin. New legislative maps mean that there may be opportunities to push for change in coming years, but we cannot allow our City to fall into a death spiral of declining services in the meantime. Our community needs to find a sustainable path forward.
In August the Madison Common Council overwhelmingly approved a referendum for the November ballot. The referendum will provide funding for libraries, parks and other public services. Without the referendum, Madison will have to cut services in 2025 and future budgets in order to balance the budget.
I’m supporting the referendum in November, and I hope you will, too. A modest tax increase (less than $5 per month per $100,000 of house value) will allow us to avoid devastating cuts that will compromise our quality of life and negatively impact our most vulnerable residents. Madison can’t afford to let misguided state policies compromise our values and the things that make our city a great place to live, work and raise a family.
