Toni Herkert, the Government Affairs Director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, released the following statement on the Joint Finance Committee’s unanimous approval of $732,250,100 in revenue obligation bonding authorization for the Environmental Improvement Fund during this afternoon’s executive session. The Environmental Improvement Fund contains the Clean Water Fund Program, which provides below market interest rate loans to municipal wastewater utilities for capital projects, and the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program, which provides below market interest rate loans to municipal drinking water utilities for capital projects.
“Today’s bipartisan action by the Joint Finance Committee promotes the interests of municipal taxpayers and ratepayers, economic development, public health, clean water, and Wisconsin’s local governments. Everyday around this state, cities and villages with populations ranging from less than 100 to over 500,000 work tirelessly to ensure the delivery of safe and drinkable water to homes, schools, and businesses, and consistently ensure wastewater effluent is safe and clean for release back into the environment. This is not only a labor-intensive process, but is also capital-intensive. The result of this work ensures that three quarters of the state’s residents and nine-tenths of the state’s businesses continue to have unimpeded delivery of these critical municipal services.
“The Environmental Improvement Fund has worked effectively as a local-state federal partnership for more than 30 years, ensuring that water and wastewater utilities of all sizes around the state can support community growth and comply with health and environmental standards in the provision of reliable water services. After projects were unable to be funded for the first time in the program’s history due to an unanticipated surge in demand, substantial action was needed in this budget to prevent further project delays that risk community growth and regulatory non-compliance. The Joint Finance Committee met this challenge head-on and provided the substantial investment that will pay dividends for decades to come in Wisconsin communities.
“Thank you to the authors of budget motions calling for this increase, Representative Todd Novak and Senator Eric Wimberger, and the co-signers of these motions, Representatives Dean Kaufert and Ben Franklin. Additionally, thank you to the Co-Chairs, Senator Howard Marklein and Representative Mark Born, along with Representative Tip McGuire who seconded Representative Born’s motion today. Finally, thank you to the members of the Joint Finance Committee who approved the authorization on a 16-0 vote. Municipalities of all sizes in all corners of Wisconsin are grateful for today’s action and all who made it possible.”
