MADISON, Wis. –Rep. Palmeri released the following statement regarding yesterday’s floor session on Assembly Bill 245.

“The much hoped for shared revenue bill (AB 245) did not have to be rushed. After years of stagnant funding for local governments, we have the opportunity to use a historic surplus to invest back into our communities and fix the broken shared revenue formula. In the eleventh hour, we received a 21 page amendment to vote on. However, the bill was not ready or acceptable. The many restrictions and requirements would have cost taxpayers and sold off local control. It was like a shiny red apple with worms inside.

“Compromises in a subsequent amendment were offered, and I was prepared to vote for those. These would have brought a more equitable rate for all municipalities, including medium sized cities such as Oshkosh while preserving some local control.

“Local governments know their communities best. We should be empowering them to allocate funding and make decisions that will best serve their community. This bill, as it stands, lumps communities together based on arbitrary population size, without regard for the countless variables that make each community unique.

“The fact that we are having this conversation is a step forward, but we need to ensure we do right by the people of Wisconsin in the process, without including policy that pushes a political narrative onto local governments.

“This bill moves on to the Senate where I hope we can continue negotiating to give all our communities the resources they need to thrive.”