$160 million allocated to local governments as part of state budget

For the Tomahawk Leader

MADISON — Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary-designee Craig Thompson on Tuesday, July 7 announced more than $160 million in transportation aid for local governments as part of the governor’s 2019-21 biennial budget.

Local governments received quarterly payments last week totaling $160,249,246 for General Transportation Aids (GTA), Connecting Highway Aids (CHA) and Expressway Policing Aids from the WisDOT, a release from Evers’ office said.

General Transportation Aids help cover the costs of constructing, maintaining, and operating roads and streets under local jurisdiction. Connecting Highway Aids reimburse municipalities for maintenance and traffic control of certain state highways within municipalities.

Payments to Wisconsin’s 1,850 villages, towns, and cities include $156,977,397 in GTA; $3,015,875 to municipalities eligible to receive CHA; and $255,975 to Milwaukee County for Expressway Policing Aids.

The local assistance increase is part of more than $465 million in new funding for transportation projects included in the governor’s 2019-2020 state budget, “the largest dedication of new, ongoing revenue to the transportation fund in a generation,” according to the governor’s office. The budget included $320 million in new funding for the State Highway Rehabilitation program, $1.9 million more for local roads, and provided $75 million in one-time funding for the Multimodal Local Supplement grant program.

“As our economy continues to recover from the effects of this pandemic, it is critically important for us to invest in our state’s infrastructure,” Evers said in the release. “After years of neglecting our roads and bridges, The People’s Budget made historic new investments to provide the 21st-century transportation system we need in order to thrive. Funding for local roads is an important part of economic development in our state, whether it’s getting to work or school or transporting goods to market—an investment in infrastructure is an investment in our state’s economy for years to come.”

“General transportation aids are a significant portion of the money local communities need to maintain their roads,” Thompson stated. “Maintaining our local roads is a vital part of WisDOT’s mission.”

Local governments will receive over $505 million in general transportation aids to support transportation-related projects in calendar year 2020, a 10% increase from calendar year 2019, the release said. An additional $2.5 million was allocated that are limited by the 85% of three-year average cost limitations under the general transportation aids program.

Quarterly payments for cities, towns, and villages are sent the first Monday in January, April, July, and October. County payments are made in three installments, with 25 percent of the total annual payment on the first Monday in January, 50 percent on the first Monday in July, and 25 percent on the first Monday in October.

Lincoln County

Lincoln County received $631,289.18 in GTA. The City of Tomahawk received $77,814.92 in GTA and $7,237.41 in CHA, while the City of Merrill received $189,915.73 in GTA and $26,182.17 in CHA.

GTA payments to Lincoln County townships include: Town of Birch, $15,128.15; Town of Bradley, $51,679.62; Town of Corning, $63,748.71; Town of Harding, $22,226.31; Town of Harrison, $38,303.10; Town of King, $22,725.63; Town of Merrill, $43,848.18; Town of Pine River, $42,586.74; Town of Rock Falls, $24,624.36; Town of Russell, $22,611.13; Town of Schley, $31,596.27; Town of Scott, $36,673.74; Town of Skanawan, $15,616.89; Town of Somo, $13,711.59; Town of Tomahawk, $23,277.51; Town of Wilson, $14,810.61.

Oneida County

Oneida County received $511,795.96 in GTA. The City of Rhinelander received  $179,778.05 in GTA.

GTA payments to Oneida County townships include: Town of Cassian, $59,451.93; Town of Hazelhurst, $33,040.53; Town of Little Rice, $30,281.13; Town of Lynne, $50,827.09; Town of Nokomis, $34,880.13.

Price County

Price County received $322,090.26 in GTA.

GTA payments to Price County cities, villages and townships include: City of Park Falls, $68,334.32; City of Phillips, $49,163.21; Village of Prentice, $11,665.64; Town of Hill, $20,721.78; Town of Knox,$22,584.57; Town of Ogema, $38,480.49; Town of Spirit, $19,999.08.

Vilas County

Vilas County received $434,818.74 in GTA, while the City of Eagle River received $66,042.24 in GTA.

To view the full list of local payments, visit www.wisconsindot.gov/Documents/doing-bus/local-gov/astnce-pgms/highway/0720-GTAList.pdf.