OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Of the roughly 18,000 Wisconsin municipalities, only 20 have wheel taxes.
That’s according to Republican State Representative Michael Schraa.
But the Oshkosh Republican tells WLUK that could soon change.
“There’s been a lot of rumblings of municipalities and counties that want to pass this and I just feel that the people that are gonna be paying it should have a say in the matter”
Schraa has authored a bill that would require cities and counties to hold a referendum to let voters decide if local leaders can create a wheel tax.
A wheel tax is an addtional fee paid on top off your car registration that is meant to be used for transportation and road projects.
Schraa said if municipalities need the money, they should to plead their cases to taxpayers.
“If they would do a good job in that education process then there wouldn’t be a problem in passing some of these wheel taxes”
Democratic State Representative Amanda Stuck says Schraa’s bill is unnecessary.
“Quite frankly, if the republican majority would just do their job and actually address transportation, the municipalities wouldn’t have to figure out how to address transportation on their own”
Oshkosh Mayor Steve Cummings says the bill would take away local control.
“We know how to run our cities. We don’t need this constant interference out of Madison”
According to Cummings Oshkosh voters said in a survey last year they did not want a wheel tax.
He said the city’s long-range financing committee is still researching the idea, in case the city needs the funds in the future.
“Madison keeps mandating things and then doesn’t fund it properly, or cuts back on payments to the communities”
But Schraa says the bill does not take away municipalities’ autonomy.
“They just have to go to referendum to get the voters’ approval. That’s democracy, in my opinion”
According to Schraa his bill would not create any additional costs for municipalities, because he says part of the bill says a referendum would need to be done during a regular election.
Schraa said he is currently looking for co-sponsors of his bill. He hopes to have a committee hearing scheduled this month.
