Southern Wisconsin Times

The City of Janesville is reacting with enthusiasm after Governor Tony Evers signed Assembly Bill 245 into law, providing historic increases in support to local communities statewide through the Shared Revenue Program.

The largest source of state funding provided to local government, shared revenue is essential to the ability of municipalities to deliver services to their citizens. Under the agreed-upon changes, communities across Wisconsin would see a generational increase in funding. Further, 2023 Wisconsin Act 12 links local government funding to the state sales tax, enabling future growth.  

This generational legislation provides a much-needed addition of approximately $913,000 for Janesville. This allocation will be critical in allowing the City to continue providing exceptional essential services, such as public safety and infrastructure maintenance. For residents, it represents a sustainable state investment in our community, reducing the overall burden on property taxpayers. While we are disappointed the new bill did not solve a long-standing inequity in our shared revenue payments compared to our peer cities, the legislation is a huge milestone for communities throughout the State of Wisconsin and should be applauded. We will continue to seek dialogue on the inequity issue in future legislative sessions.

“The City of Janesville would like to thank Governor Tony Evers, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, and Assembly Speaker Rob Vos for working together to strengthen our communities,” City Manager Kevin Lahner said. “We are also very grateful for the support and leadership of Senator Mark Spreitzer, Representative Sue Conley, Representative Scott Johnson, and Representative Ellen Schutt for their work towards this significant agreement.”

The City also extends its gratitude to the League of Wisconsin Municipalities for their dedicated efforts and advocacy on this issue.

City leaders have appreciated working closely with Senator Spreitzer and Representative Conley to advocate for our community during discussions on shared revenue. Senator Spreitzer's diligent work on the Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections, and Consumer Protection and Representative Conley's service on the Committee on Local Government have been critical in advancing dialogue on the importance of local government funding issues. Collectively, both of their dedication to representing our shared constituency ensured that the interests of Janesville's residents are being considered in Madison.

For questions, contact the City Manager's Office at (608) 755-3094.

Original source can be found here.