The Milwaukee Common Council is going to vote on the idea of $20-per-year wheel tax. The measure thus far has a veto-proof majority, but it is only a one-vote margin and can change.
There is a lot wrong with the idea of taxing residents of such an impoverished city to subsidize streets for huge damage-causing trucks from elsewhere. It is obvious, though, that something needs to be done. City streets are becoming increasingly dangerous because of their poor condition.
Is this the best fix there is? Certainly it would be better if some of the billions the state is going to throw away on unneeded freeway expansion were redirected to local governments for needed street repairs and reconstruction. The land use group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin reported last year that Milwaukee County residents spend $180 million per year on road projects that are eligible for state aid, but that aren’t getting the aid because the state is spending the money elsewhere — on big highway projects.
The state needs to set some new priorities.
Gretchen. First I wanted to say thanks for coming and speaking at GLUE the other day it was very interesting. Then I’d say this wheel tax is at least better than the current system because it is at least use based. And yes itis does miss the out of city street users but so do the assessments which have been really hitting residents with large bills.
I’d rather see more variable, fewer fixed fees. Better an increase in the very low fuel taxes than an increase in the (also very low) vehicle fees. It’s more likely that Americans can be encouraged to drive less than that they can be encouraged to not own cars at all, after all. The Dutch and Germans and Danes own plenty of cars, they just don’t drive them constantly. Presumably the city *can* tax cars but *can’t* tax gasoline, though, so you tax what you can.