Legislators noncommittal on local officials' calls for lowering utility costs, funding roads
Potential cuts and delays from the Trump administration’s threats to withhold allocated funds could also impact the projects, with bureaucratic delays already creating problems due to uncertainty.
Infrastructure and utility costs were two of the key topics during a recent budgetary listening session hosted by Representatives Joey Goeben and Shae Sortwell.
During the session Kaukauna mayor Tony Penterman pushed legislators to support a bill that could significantly reduce utility transmission rates at an estimated savings to Fox Cities residents of $1 million a year.
The bill, set to be introduced in the next legislative session, would benefit Kaukauna Utilities customers. Transmission rates cover the cost of moving electricity from power plants to local utility providers and ultimately homes and businesses.
“If it passes, we’ll see real financial savings that will ease the burden on families and businesses,” he said. “We’re hoping for bipartisan support to get this through.”
The response from legislators in attendance was tepid, though, with none expressing willingness to co-sponsor or vote for the bill.
State Representative Sortwell, who hosted the session, noted that transmission rate reform is a complex issue but agreed that affordability remains a top concern. “We’ll have to see the specifics of the bill when it’s introduced,” he said. “Keeping costs down for Wisconsinites is always a priority, and we’ll review it closely.”
The bill is expected to be formally introduced in the coming months, at which point it will face committee reviews and legislative debate. Local officials are urging residents to stay engaged and contact their representatives to advocate for its passage.
Penterman remains optimistic, stating, “We need strong support from our state leaders to make this happen. It’s an issue that directly impacts thousands of hardworking people in our community, and we’ll keep fighting for it.”
Infrastructure Projects run into roadblocks
On the matter of infrastructure and road and highway safety and efficiency, there is concern about a potential roadblock by the Trump administration to already allocated funds from the Biden administration’s Infrastructure and Jobs Act and how that might impact projects.
Outagamie County Highway Commissioner Dean Steingraver discussed how important the expansion of Highway 41 and Highway 15 are to economic growth and traffic efficiency in the region, though he expressed concerns about the long-term maintenance of the roads given that small increases in funding are not keeping up with inflation. That leaves municipalities struggling to maintain their own infrastructure.
With the primary funding source – the gas tax – declining due to greater vehicle fuel efficiency and the rise of electric vehicles, legislators discussed mileage-based fees, toll roads and gas tax adjustments (raising the tax to align with inflation and infrastructure demands) as alternative funding sources.
Local officials expressed frustration with two state-funded programs that, while critical to rural infrastructure, they see as needlessly complex when it comes to applying for grants. Smaller municipalities in particular struggle to navigate the process for the Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) and the Agricultural Road Improvement Program (ARIP).
“There are millions of dollars available, but many small towns can’t afford to hire a grant writer to access those funds,” noted one town official. Legislators acknowledged this concern and discussed ways to streamline the application process to ensure fairer distribution of funds.
Potential cuts and delays from the Trump administration’s threats to withhold allocated funds – threats that have been deemed illegal by the federal judges who have so far weighed in on the matters – could also impact the projects, with bureaucratic delays already creating problems due to uncertainty.
