Governor Walker’s proposed state budget for 2015-17 includes numerous initiatives that will be of interest to the geospatial community. I have attempted to provide a summary of these below. This summary is based primarily on Legislative Reference Bureau written analyses, as well as documents prepared by the Wisconsin Counties Association.
In the interests of brevity I have omitted provisions related to several environmental and agricultural programs that might be of interest to some readers, such as the Soil and Water Resource Management Program, financial assistance to local governments through the environmental improvement fund, urban forestry grants, the Managed Forest Land Program, and others. Also excluded from this summary are provisions for the Department of Transportation and the state’s transportation network.
For more detail readers can see the Governor’s budget bill in its entirety, along with the Legislative Reference Bureau analysis, here.
A useful “Budget in Brief” document and individual agency budgets can be found here.
Dramatis personae
DATCP – Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
DMA – Department of Military Affairs
DNR – Department of Natural Resources
DOA – Department of Administration
DOR – Department of Revenue
LTSB – Legislative Technology Services Bureau
PSC – Public Service Commission
WEDC – Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
WHEDA – Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority
Municipal boundaries
The Governor’s budget bill provides funding to the LTSB to create and manage a statewide database of changes to municipal and ward boundaries. This will allow the state to maintain an accurate database of current boundaries to be shared with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Specifically, the bill directs each municipal clerk, no later than October 15 of each year following a federal decennial census, to transmit to the county clerk a report confirming the boundaries of the municipality and each ward within the municipality. The report must be accompanied by a map showing municipal and ward boundaries and a list of census block numbers. The same report is to be filed within 5 days after notice to the municipal clerk of a judgment that has the effect of changing municipal boundaries.
The bill also directs each county clerk to transmit to LTSB, twice per year in an electronic format approved by LTSB, a report confirming the boundaries of each municipality and each ward and supervisory district within the county. Upon receipt of this information, LTSB must reconcile and compile the information into a statewide database of municipal boundaries. The LTSB is also directed to participate, on behalf of the state, in geographic boundary information programs when offered by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The bill also consolidates the process of recording changes in municipal boundaries by transferring responsibility from the Secretary of State to the DOA.
Land information funding
The Governor’s budget recommends increasing expenditure authority for the Land Information Fund by over $5 million per year, to reflect the recent increase in revenue and anticipated expenses related to creation of a statewide digital parcel map. The Governor also recommends converting funding for several DOA positions associated with the Land Information Program to the Land Information Fund to more accurately reflect their duties.
Property taxation
The bill specifies that the state will transition from the current system of municipal property value assessment to a county-based system.
Beginning with the property tax assessments on January 1, 2017, counties will assess all property, other than manufacturing property, within their boundaries. Counties that are contiguous to one another may create regional assessment units. Certain cities that are conducting their own assessments as of January 1, 2015, may continue to do so subject to restrictions.
The bill stipulates that each county (or regional assessment unit) will employ an assessment administrator to develop standards and procedures for assessment unit employees consistent with guidance published by the DOR. The assessment administrator will be responsible for determining the property values in the county or region, and will submit the full values of all parcels assessed to the DOR annually.
Environment
The Governor’s budget recommends increased funding ($100,000 per year in the biennium) to the Bureau of Parks and Recreation and Division of Forestry in DNR for “improved geographical information system activities and global positioning system activities to more accurately identify property boundaries.”
The Governor also recommends providing one-time funding ($70,000) from the conservation fund to expand document storage capabilities of the waterway wetland database.
The bill transfers administration of the Kickapoo Reserve Management Board and the Lower Wisconsin Riverway Board to the DNR.
The bill transforms the Board of the DNR into an advisory council.
The bill directs the DNR to prepare a plan to move the Division of Forestry headquarters to a northern location.
The bill establishes a moratorium on Stewardship Program land purchases until the level of debt service in the program is reduced to $1 per $8 of total costs for land purchases acquired since program inception.
Energy and Communications
The Governor’s budget requires the PSC to study health issues related to wind energy systems and submit a report on the study to the Governor and Legislature.
The bill expands access to the TEACH (Technology for Educational Achievement) program, administered by the DOA, which offers telecommunication access at discounted rates to certain educational agencies.
The bill provides $6 million in new funding and additional funding flexibility for the PSC’s Broadband Expansion Program.
The Governor recommends additional expenditure authority ($250,000 each year of the biennium) to fund a portion of the State Broadband Office. According to the budget documents, a program goal of the PSC is to conduct regular broadband inventory activities and maintain the accuracy of Wisconsin’s interactive broadband map through semi-annual updates.
Agriculture
The bill transforms the DATCP Board into an advisory council.
Economic Development
The Governor’s budget eliminates WEDC and WHEDA and merges their functions into a new authority to be known as the Forward Wisconsin Development Authority (FWDA).
Emergency management
The Governor’s budget creates an Office of Continuity of Government in DOA. The bill requires the office to consult with the administrator of the Division of Emergency Management in DMA to establish and administer a program to ensure the continuity of government operations during a disaster.
What’s next?
As the Governor’s budget was released only a few days ago and is over 1800 pages in length, more sifting will occur in the weeks ahead. The summary above is not necessarily a complete list.
The introduction of the Governor’s budget is the first step in crafting the final state budget, which will take months of discussion and deliberation. In all likelihood, some of the provisions listed here are likely to change before they become law.
Stay tuned for more information.