APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Appleton may increase its wheel tax by $10 per vehicle, to a total of $30, to fund road repairs. A city council committee will discuss it Monday.
Appleton instituted the fee in 2014, and it has not been increased since. According to state law, proceeds may only be for road repairs.
Across the state, more than 40 municipalities and more than a dozen counties have the fee. They range from $10 to $40, and are collected where the vehicles are registered. The fee is paid at the same time as the annual state registration fee.
According to a memo from Public Works Director Danielle Block, Appleton has about 65,540 vehicles covered by the tax. In 2023, the city collected $1,279,821.
However, the city usually spends more than that on road reconstruction each year, forcing it to use other sources, including state and federal grants, transportation airs, TIF revenue, and borrowed funds. The increase would generate about $645,400 more for the city, Block said.
The Finance Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the sixth floor council chambers at City Hall, 100 N. Appleton Street.
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