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Volume 5, Issue 30, Dec 12, 2022 Published the first business day of each week The Chamber's Advocacy Principles The Chamber's Business Issues Agenda Contact: Scott Rogers, VP Governmental Affairs rogers@eauclairechamber.org |
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Last chance to register... Eggs & Issues: Holiday Legislative Breakfast This is an excellent opportunity to get a preview of the key priorities that our local lawmakers will be taking to Madison in January. With 2023 being a state budget year, this will be an especially important session. Legislators who've RSVP'd to attend so far include State Senator Jeff Smith (D-31); Senators-elect Jesse James (R-23), and Romaine Quinn (R-25); Reps Dave Armstrong (R-75), Jodi Emerson (D-91), Warren Petryk (R-93), Treig Pronschinske (R-92), and Rob Summerfield (R-67); and Rep-elect Karen Hurd (R-68). • Friday, Dec 16, 7:00-9:00 a.m., Pablo Center at the Confluence Click here for details and to register
Don't miss... "Eau What A Night" - The Chamber's 108th Annual Meeting • Wednesday, Jan 25, 2023, Pablo Center at the Confluence Click here for details and to register
Registration now open 29th Annual Chippewa Valley Rally Organized by the Chippewa Valley Chamber Alliance - the Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and Eau Claire Chambers of Commerce. Bringing the collective voice of Chippewa Valley business and community leaders to Madison. • Wednesday, Feb 22, 2023, Madison |
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In this issue: • Candidates circulating petitions in Dec for the Spring election • Property tax bills are going out • EC City Council to vote on Shopko redevelopment • Eau Claire School Board reverses cut to Hmong, Japanese classes • State and regional stories • National and economic news • COVID-19 updates • Mark your calendar |
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Spring non-partisan election Apr 4 (Feb 21 Primary) Candidates circulating petitions in Dec with Jan 3 deadline The Spring non-partisan election in April will determine races for local municipal councils and boards, school boards, and a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Locally, that includes the Eau Claire City Council President, three City Council seats in Altoona, two Town Board seats for the Town of Washington, and the Mayor and three Village Trustee seats in Fall Creek. Local School Board seats on the April 4 ballot include two seats each on the School Boards for the Altoona, Eau Claire, and Fall Creek districts. For all of the Spring races, there will be Primary on February 21 for any race for which more than two individuals per office file nominating petitions. Candidates were allowed to begin circulating nominating petitions on December 1, with a filing deadline of January 3. Eau Claire City Council President Terry Weld announced last Thursday that he will not seek reelection when his term ends this coming Spring. Weld endorsed current City Council Vice President Emily Berge, who announced her candidacy on Thursday, to succeed him. For the statewide Supreme Court race, there are four announced candidates for the 10-year term for retiring Justice Patience Roggensack. More information: Local offices on the ballot for April 4 Election (Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce) Wisconsin Supreme Court Election (Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce) Video: ‘The Insiders’ look at the candidates and dynamics at play in the state Supreme Court race (WisOpinion.com) Terry Weld Won’t Seek Re-Election as E.C. City Council President (Volume One)
Local property tax bills arriving Area property owners this week will be receiving tax bills showing what they'll owe to local jurisdictions, including their municipality, county government, school district, and technical college. For the City of Eau Claire, tax bills will reflect an increase based upon the voters' approval of a tax levy referendum to fund additional public safety positions. To provide a comparison and context for each of the line items on your tax bill, Chamber Governmental Affairs Interns Emily Johnston and Mallory Williams created a table comparing tax rates paid for properties in the City of Eau Claire, City of Altoona, and Town of Washington. The comparison shows mill rates for each taxing body, which is the tax rate per thousand based upon property value. Click the link below for details. More information: Local mill rates and tax comparisons (Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce) Eau Claire tax bills arriving next week (Leader-Telegram $)
EC City Council to vote on Shopko site redevelopment The Eau Claire City Council holds its only December meetings this week, with the Public Hearing on Monday evening and Legislative Session on Tuesday. Monday's Public Hearing includes the rezoning request from Milwaukee-based Greywolf Partners to build two four-story buildings with a total of 258 apartments on the site for the former ShopKo store at 955 W. Clairemont Avenue (see pages 6-56 of the Monday Agenda Packet linked below). The Council will act on that request at its Tuesday Legislative Session. Other items on Tuesday's agenda include the sale of lot 21 in the Sky Park Industrial Center, for construction of a 10,000 square foot warehouse and office space by JSAH LLC (see pages 59-70 of the Tuesday Agenda Packet), transit-related agreements for federal funding assistance (pages 37-46), the final plat for SC Swiderski's Phase III development along North Crossing (pages 47-53), a lease agreement with Christ Church Cathedral for continued public use of its parking lot at 602 S. Farwell (pages 26-28), a resolution to rescind the amendment to Tax Increment District #9 that was passed last June in anticipation of the Niagara Waters plant that did not move forward (pages 29-32), and an ambulance service agreement with the City of Altoona (pages 71-75). Meeting information: Eau Claire City Council • Monday, Dec 12, 7 p.m. Public Hearing Agenda Packet (82 pages) • Tuesday, Dec 13, 4 p.m. Legislative Session Agenda Packet (170 pages) Link to videos of city meetings (City of Eau Claire) City Council Online Comment Form (City of Eau Claire) Contact information: City Council members (City of Eau Claire) Developer Wants to Tear Down Old Shopko, Build Student Apartments (Volume One)
Eau Claire School Board reverses decision to drop Hmong, Japanese language programs The Eau Claire Board of Education last Monday voted to reverse a decision to drop Hmong and Japanese language programs after recent public feedback. It also voted to authorize the sale of bond anticipation notes related to the recent passage of its $98.6 capital funding referendum. More information: Eau Claire Board of Education • Monday, Nov 28, 6 p.m. closed session, 7 p.m. regular session Agenda Packet Board of Education members and information ECASD reverses decision on Hmong, Japanese languages discontinuation (Leader-Telegram $) Letter demands accountability from ECASD over language program controversy (Leader-Telegram $)
More local stories:
‘Strong Voice’ for Chippewa Falls - Chamber President Mike Jordan - Retires After 25 Years (Volume One)
UW-Eau Claire provides planning update for Science and Health Sciences Building (UWEC)
Local roundtable held on impacts of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (WQOW News 18)
Shortage in public defense attorneys delay court proceedings for defendants (WEAU 13 News) |
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Wisconsin Policy Forum Report: What the surplus means for the state budget The state has run ever larger surpluses in recent years, setting up an unprecedented opportunity for new state spending, reduced taxes, or both in the next budget. However, elected officials still need to factor in the impact of inflation, the risk of recession, mounting needs at the local level, and the fact that recent projections have missed the mark and could do so again. When Gov. Tony Evers and the Legislature craft the 2023-25 state budget next year, they will draw on an unprecedented state surplus while also facing the looming threat of a recession. Given those two opposing forces, what is the prognosis for the budget? To answer that question, we sought to present a bare-bones budget, one that showed a starting place for the budget process before most decisions are made and one that could be readily compared with previous years. More information: The Astounding State Surplus (Wisconsin Policy Forum report)
More state and regional stories:
Gov. Evers Announces 2023 State of the State Address, 2023-25 Budget Message Dates (Office of the Governor)
Gov. Evers: To launch statewide ‘Doing the Right Thing’ listening session tour to hear directly from Wisconsinites (WisPolitics.com)
Enrollment Up More Than 10% At Wisconsin Technical Colleges (Urban Milwaukee)
UW System's merger couldn't save UW-Platteville Richland. What about other UW branch campuses? (Journal-Sentinel $)
Wisconsin regulators OK $478 million utility investment in solar-plus-storage (Kenosha News +)
As drug overdose deaths soar, Milwaukee County considers use of opioid settlement funds (Wisconsin Watch)
Gov. Evers Announces DHS Secretary-designee Timberlake Leaving Evers Administration (Office of the Governor)
Vote for vacant 8th Senate District to be held on April spring election (Wisconsin State Journal +)
Rep. Janel Brandtjen, election denier who backed Robin Vos challenger, barred from Assembly GOP caucus (Journal-Sentinel +)
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates weigh in on redistricting in first joint election appearance (Journal-Sentinel $)
Wisconsin rent prices normalize as evictions return to pre-pandemic levels (WPR)
Wisconsin's Republican D.C. delegation urges Tony Evers to order TikTok deleted from state devices (Journal-Sentinel +)
Rep. Vos: Announces vice chair and membership of Assembly Joint Finance Committee (WisPolitics.com) |
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