KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – While applause filled the room as Governor Tony Evers signed the state’s budget into law on Wednesday, leaders in Kaukauna were left with less funding and few options.
“When I found out that Governor Evers vetoed the line item in the budget for the Veterans Memorial Bridge I was disappointed in that,” said the city’s mayor, Tony Penterman.
Right in the heart of Kaukauna, the Veterans Memorial Bridge has been in need of repairs for decades. With Evers’ veto, local lawmakers are wondering who will foot the bill for the $2 million project.
Penterman tells FOX 11 the city is looking for about $1.8 million from the state.
“It will be tough because taxpayers will be on the hook for that. It will cost the taxpayers, the average taxpayer in the city of Kaukauna, probably about $270.”
He says another option leans heavily on city departments.
“If we don’t get that funding that is actually our operating budget for the year for our department of public works. So that would mean, you know, maybe a year or two of no reconstructing our streets or buying a plow or equipment that we would need.
Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke represents Kaukauna.
“Bridges are 80-20 split with locals picking up 20 percent of the cost. In this case, the city of Kaukauna doesn’t qualify for this funding because of the way the law is written. So in order to change that, we put a provision in the state budget that would have allowed this bridge to be funded like any other bridge repair would have been.”
Although repairs for other bridges have been handled this way, Penterman says this bridge has different needs.
“They don’t take into consideration the mechanisms in the lift bridge. Certain parts the lift bridge needs isn’t included in the funding for repairs.
But Democratic State Representative Amanda Stuck tells FOX 11 she understands why Evers eliminated the funding from the budget.
“I think the governor had to try to move around funding where he could to get a little more in education.
Evers did include in the veto summary he has already started working with the DOT to find other funding options.
Kaukauna’s Mayor says he will also continue to work with legislators to find funding through other programs.
