Whereas, Local roads are the backbone for Wisconsin commerce and industry, stimulate growth and promote a healthy economy; and

Whereas, Roughly 90% of Wisconsin’s public roads are local roads which carry 40% of the state’s traffic yet only 30% of the Wisconsin’s segregated Transportation Fund spending in 2012 will go for local road projects – down from 40% 20 years ago; and

Whereas, Road user fees like gasoline taxes and vehicle registration only pay for part of the costs of repair, maintenance, repaving and replacement of local roads and streets; and

Whereas, The state Transportation Fund is shrinking because roughly 30% of its funding comes from gasoline taxes and the high cost of gasoline has motorists driving less, driving more fuel efficient cars, buying fewer gallons of gasoline and paying less in gasoline taxes; and

Whereas, Eighty percent of local road costs are paid by non-user funding sources like property taxes; and

Whereas, Most user fee revenues are spent to fund new highway expansion, leaving little funding for local road repair, maintenance, repaving and replacement; and

Whereas, Town governments in 2010 received state funding for only 37% of eligible road maintenance costs; and

Whereas, Local governments are subject to tight levy limits on local levies, and state shared revenue have been cut for local governments, which further restricts the towns’; villages’; cities’; and counties’ ability to fund local road maintenance; now, therefore, be it resolved by the Town Board of Thornapple, Rusk County, that we support an amendment to the State of Wisconsin constitution that requires that one half of all revenues in the state Transportation Fund be distributed to local governments in the state of Wisconsin.

Adopted this 10th day of October, 2012.