MARSHFIELD – Most vehicle owners in Marshfield would pay a local registration fee, under a new proposal.
The Common Council on Aug. 25 heard the first reading of an ordinance that would impose a $25 fee on each vehicle owned by Marshfield residents.
“This proposal is a state-authorized municipal vehicle registration fee that is collected by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation with its vehicle registrations that must be used for transportation-related services,” Jennifer Selenske, city finance director, told council members. “Not every vehicle is subject to this tax. There is a laundry list of exemptions within the statute itself, but the registration fee is generally applicable to automobiles and light trucks. The registration fee is collected by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation at the time a vehicle is registered and renewed.”
“We have 21 miles of roads that need some sort of capital improvement, estimated to cost $28 million dollars,” said Josh Mauritz, city public works director. “We have 76 miles or so that need some level of maintenance, totaling about $1.7 million dollars. We get better bang for the buck by spending smaller amounts earlier in the lifespan of pavements.”
Selenske said additional transportation revenue is being considered because state levy limits and stagnant general state aids have not kept pace with inflation.
“Without additional recurring revenue, we must increase debt or defer our transportation maintenance,” Selenske told council members.
Selenske noted the city has borrowed $3 million in the last decade for its annual seal coating and crack-filling program, with interest costs exceeding $500,000.
“Cost containment with the (vehicle registration) fee will prevent ongoing property tax increase in the debt levy,” Selenske said. “Currently, the debt and related interest is included in that levy and we can run that out and not incur that for future years.”
The city has identified a total of $2 million worth of seal coating and crack-filling needs from 2027 through 2031, including $375,000 in each of the next two years.
Selenske identified an estimated 16,469 vehicles which would be eligible for the annual registration fee.
Any fees collected would go into a separate fund for transportation-related needs.
“If we were to enact this fee, the timeline that is outlined would set us up to begin receiving the fee in 2027 and would correlate with our CIP (Capital Improvement Program) plan for that year,” Selenske added. “At the very least, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation needs proper notification no later than October 1 if we are going to enact the ordinance as of January 1 of 2027.”
Selenske also noted a local vehicle registration fee would align beneficiaries and financial contributors.
“We do have people who don’t drive who are paying for the (seal coating and crack-filling) program and vice versa,” she said.
The proposed vehicle registration fee ordinance is scheduled to get a second reading – and possible vote – on Sept. 8.
A $31 million redevelopment of the former Weinbrenner shoe factory at 305 W. Third Street would feature 83 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, under a proposal from a Milwaukee firm.
The plan was presented to the Marshfield Common Council on Aug. 25 by Joe Dunne, Vice President of Development and Asset Management for Serenova Development, the former J. Jeffers & Co.
“Our preliminary layouts are for 34 one-bedroom, 46 two-bedroom and 3 three-bedroom apartments, and those would range from $925 a month for the one-bedrooms up to approximately $1,271 a month for the three-bedrooms,” Dunne told council members.
The two-bedroom units would be priced at $1,107.
Dunne said Serenova would seek historic tax credits from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA).
“We need to engage our architect as soon as possible in September in order for them to begin work and confirm the total unit count,” Dunne added.
He added that architectural and engineering work would require a predevelopment funding commitment of $100,000 from the City of Marshfield.
“We’re estimating that total predevelopment costs through groundbreaking would be approximately a million dollars,” Dunne said.
He added the next steps in the process would be for the City to sell the Weinbrenner building to the developer for $1, plus a commitment from the City to provide pay-as-you-go TIF (Tax Increment Financing) funding of approximately $1 million.
Initial plans call for approximately 52 on-site parking spaces.
“We’re looking at options in areas adjacent to the actual site that might be able to carve out some more spaces to provide the best parking opportunity for this project that we can,” said City Administrator Steve Barg.
Converting the City-owned Weinbrenner building into apartments was the preferred option among Marshfield aldermen.
The council voted in June in favor of directing Barg to start negotiations with Serenova on an affordable housing project in the 91-year-old facility.
The vote came on the heels of a survey which was sent to council members in May, allowing them to rank the options previously presented for redevelopment of the site. An affordable housing project was given the highest priority among those who responded.
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