County officials: Support Lisbon- Sussex vote
Vrakas, Trawicki urge passage of consolidation referendum
Posted: Lake Country Reporter, Aug. 1, 2012
Town of Lisbon – Two of Waukesha County’s most powerful elected officials pleaded Tuesday night with town residents to vote in favor of a nonbinding, advisory referendum. Voters will be asked on Aug. 14 whether or not they support consolidation of the Town of Lisbon and the Village of Sussex.
County Executive Dan Vrakas and Sheriff Dan Trawicki told about 250 people attending a public information meeting at Hamilton High School that voters should approve the referendum in order to give local officials the opportunity to discuss consolidation of the two communities.
Any consolidation agreement, according to state law, would have to be approved by four of the five Town Board members, five of seven village trustees, and voters in both communities in a binding referendum likely to occur in 2013 or 2014.
Town Chairman Matt Gehrke told the audience the Town Board would consider consolidating with the Village of Sussex provided there was a “strong majority” approval at the referendum.
Gehrke argued consolidation of the communities is the most cost-effective method of providing the “desired level” of local government services to town residents.
He emphasized the town’s ability to increase police protection and maintain roads are being limited by new state law that restricts raising local taxes.
Vrakas and Trawicki concurred.
Trawicki said there was “no reason why” voters should not approve the referendum in order to give the local officials an opportunity to consider consolidation.
“It is in your best interest to say to your Town Board go ahead and let’s give this a try. If they can’t come up with an agreement, that is fine, but at least them a chance,” urged Trawicki.
Vrakas encouraged voters to “keep an open mind and be objective” about the possibility of merging the communities because he said local officials are going to have “get out of our comfort zone” in order to find ways to maintain government services while faced with declining tax revenues.
Vrakas said if voters approve the referendum he will ask the County Board to appropriate about $15,000 to help the village and town hire a professional consultant to develop objective information regarding the costs and other ramifications of a consolidation.
“One of the most important things to do is get objective information and try to remove the emotions,” said Vrakas.
Trawicki added, “The Village of Sussex has done some things to the Town of Lisbon in the past that were probably wrong and the Town of Lisbon has done some things to the Village of Sussex in the past that were probably wrong, but it is time to get over it.”
Some town officials privately and publicly expressed optimism that the appearance of the two popular county officials would give the referendum campaign, which has encountered stiff opposition, a boost two weeks before the election.
“Any time you have someone of their stature supporting you, it helps,” noted Supervisor Joe Osterman.
However, Osterman’s Town Board colleague, Supervisor Dan Fischer, has waged a vigorous campaign against consolidation arguing that it is unnecessary, poses a risk to the rural residential life style of town residents and will raise town taxes.
He argues Lisbon taxpayers would be expected to help pay for services they may not want or need and help pay off the Village of Sussex’s approximately $19 million debt.
Lisbon-Inc. org, the citizens group that failed in an effort to incorporate Lisbon into a village, has urged voters to reject the referendum. Officials of the group said they are prepared to make another attempt at getting state approval to upgrade the status of local government from a town to a village.
Most of the residents speaking at the meeting were opposed to consolidation.
Town resident Pat Murphy questioned the wisdom of Vrakas spending county tax funds “on this little neighborhood dispute.”
“Save the money for something that will benefit all of the county’s residents,” Murphy added.
Jennifer Braden said she was concerned consolidation would create a new municipality that would eventually require her to connect her home to municipal sewer and water even though she has a private well and septic system.
“When I am getting ready to retire, I don’t want to have to spend $50,000 to $60,000 to hook up sewer and water to my home so I can sell it,” she said.
“I don’t see that we have a lot in common. Most of the people in Sussex live in apartments and condos and most of us in town live on one-acre lots. Why should I want to be part of Sussex, I moved out here from big cities to get away from that,” said John Stuart.
Carl Duwe rattled off a list of political disputes between the two communities over the past 40 years and then added, “Now you want us to become part of Sussex so we pay more of their bills?”
“I was surprised at the hate, and I use that word because it was the word used tonight, that was expressed towards Sussex,” said Village Trustee Pat Tetzlaff who sat through the nearly two-and-a-half hour meeting, unnoticed by most of the town residents.
But Osterman, a personal friend of Tetzlaff’s, later replied, “There was only a small portion of the town’s total population at the meeting and only a small portion of that small portion was attacking the Village of Sussex.
“I think most of the residents of the town like the people who live in the village. They are our friends and neighbors,” he said.