Sponsor
Aldermen DeHahn, Fair, Marcus, Shields, Kaplan, Kaprelian-Becker, Weidner, Shakoor II, McCarthy, Wiser, Helding, Wisneski, Morgenroth, Hart and Mozol
Title
To support creation of The Workforce Mobility Act
WHEREAS, the essential public transportation connections between workers and jobs in Racine, Mount Pleasant, Caledonia and Yorkville were reduced and passenger fares were increased by as much as 33% as the result of reductions in State of Wisconsin public transportation operating assistance in the 2011-2013 State of Wisconsin budget; and
WHEREAS, the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau now estimates that the State of Wisconsin Transportation Fund has almost $33 million more than originally estimated; and
WHEREAS, the Transportation Fund allocation for highway improvements was increased significantly over the previous two year period, while public transportation funding was decreased by 10% or more; and
WHEREAS, legislation referred to as The Workforce Mobility Act is currently under consideration in the Wisconsin Legislature; and
WHEREAS, The Workforce Mobility Act proposes to reinvest $9.6 million of the $33 million of available Transportation Fund dollars to allow communities to prevent further cuts to public transportation services that are essential to connecting workers to jobs; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure of these funds will NOT increase local, state or federal taxes; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure of these funds may leverage additional funding; and
WHEREAS, the City of Racine’s share of these funds will be introduced into the Racine area economy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council of the City of Racine does hereby urge and request members of the State Legislature and Wisconsin’s Governor to pass and sign into law The Workforce Mobility Act with provisions that will allow individual communities the flexibility to program their share of the $9.6 million, of previously eliminated public transportation support, to maximize a...
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