CONTACT: Craig Thompson, Transportation Development Association (TDA) Executive Director
(608) 256-7044; Craig.Thompson@tdawisconsin.org
Daniel J. Fedderly, Wisconsin County Highway Association (WCHA) Executive Director
(715) 505-9242; hwype@wwt.net
More counties set to vote on advisory referendum next month
MADISON – A grassroots campaign to safeguard money in the state transportation fund continues to gain momentum across the state. In the past few weeks, 35 Wisconsin county boards have voted to include an advisory referendum question on the fall election ballot asking if the Wisconsin constitution should be amended to protect transportation funds. Many more counties are expected to take up the initiative in the coming month.
“County highway departments have seen firsthand the negative impact past transfers have had on the public’s confidence in transportation investment in Wisconsin,” said Daniel J. Fedderly, executive director of the Wisconsin County Highway Association.
The Wisconsin County Highway Association is part of Finding Forward, a broad-based coalition of Wisconsin county and municipal governments, private businesses, organized labor, agriculture, non-profit associations, regional planning interests, housing organizations and other groups, all of which support amending the Wisconsin constitution to prohibit transferring money from the transportation fund to the state’s general fund or for purposes unrelated to transportation.
“The progress of this initiative is very, very encouraging,” Fedderly said. “By voting to place the advisory referendum question on their fall ballots, these counties have said yes to letting citizens make their voices heard on whether the transportation fund should be used only for transportation-related purposes.”
The majority of states in the nation currently protect their transportation funds via constitutional provisions. More information about Finding Forward and the campaign to safeguard Wisconsin’s transportation fund is available at http://www.FindingForwardWisconsin.org.
As of today, the advisory referendum will appear on the fall election ballot in the following counties:
Adams
Barron
Brown
Burnett
Calumet
Chippewa
Columbia
Dodge
Door
Douglas
Eau Claire
Grant
Green
Jackson
Juneau
Lafayette
Lincoln
Manitowoc
Marathon
Marquette
Menominee
Monroe
Outagamie
Pepin
Pierce
Polk
Portage
Racine
St. Croix
Vernon
Vilas
Waukesha
Waupaca
Waushara
Winnebago
