RESOLUTION

“SMART GROWTH” LEGISLATION

 

RESOLUTION TO WISCONSIN TOWNS ASSOCIATION FROM

RUSK COUNTY UNIT OF WISCONSIN TOWNS ASSOCIATION

 

Resolved by the Members, Rusk County Unit, WTA:

 

            WHEREAS, in 1999 the Wisconsin State Legislature adopted Act 9, the biennial 1999-2000 budget act which included comprehensive planning and land use legislation, , §66.1001, commonly referred to as the “Smart Growth” law, and

 

            WHEREAS, the “Smart Growth” law outlined comprehensive planning for local governments and included a requirement that by January 1, 2010, a local government’s land use actions must be consistent with its adopted comprehensive plan, and

 

            WHEREAS, by January 1, 2010, local governments must have completed and adopted by ordinance a comprehensive plan to be certain that any programs or actions affecting land use are valid, and

 

            WHEREAS,  the “Smart Growth” legislation also required comprehensive planning for receipt of certain state funding, and

 

            WHEREAS, particularly in rural low growth communities, such as Rusk County, the extensive comprehensive planning requirements outlined by the “Smart Growth” legislation are unnecessary and force local governments to expend valuable taxpayer dollars and time to complete, and

 

            WHEREAS, the “Smart Growth” law will unavoidably compromise private property rights, and

 

            WHEREAS, “Smart Growth” legislation is another  unfunded mandate which will place more financial burdens on town government and taxpayers while creating more jobs for planners and attorneys, and,

            WHEREAS,  many municipalities and counties have already passed resolutions requesting the State Legislature to rescind the “Smart Growth” law;

 

            NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that members of the Rusk County Unit of the Wisconsin Towns Association hereby request that the Wisconsin Legislature, during the very next session of the State Assembly and State Senate, adopt legislation that will immediately relieve all towns in the State of Wisconsin of the unnecessary and expensive “Smart Growth” legislation, by repealing this statutory mandate.  In doing so, towns that wish to undertake this extensive level of planning will still be free to do so and those towns that don’t, can choose to use their remaining money in other very necessary areas of town government operations, and

 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we as members of the Rusk County Unit of the Wisconsin Towns Association feel very strongly that the first place to cut unnecessary spending and hold the line on property taxes should be through the elimination of the “Smart Growth” legislation and hereby urge all state legislators to support such legislation to repeal on the floors of their respective State Houses.

 

RESOLUTION FORMALLY ADOPTED THIS 22ND  DAY OF JULY, 2003

 

Joe Lorence, Chairperson, Rusk County Unit, WTA

 

Mary Lou Bisson, Secretary, Rusk County Unit, WTA