Fiscal Note
The City of Madison’s 2019 Adopted Operating Budget anticipates $4,415,842 in revenue from the Urban Forestry Special Charge, an increase of $87,162 (2.0%) over the 2018 budgeted revenue of $4,328,678. The 2019 rate recovers the City’s costs associated with forestry efforts. These expenditures are budgeted in the Parks Division (Parks Maintenance and Forestry Service) and Streets Division (Roadside Cleanup Service). Activities supported by these services include stump removal, tree removal and replacement, and general maintenance of the City’s forestry inventory.
Title
To approve the 2019 Urban Forestry Special Charge.
Body
In 2014, Section 4.095 of the Madison General Ordinance was created to establish an Urban Forestry Special Charge. The ordinance created the urban forestry special charge in the City based upon the authority granted the City by Wis. Stat 66.0627, pursuant to Sec. 4.09(13) MGO, and in response to the Alternative Revenue Work Group’s recommendations contained in its report entitled “Alternative Revenue and the City of Madison Proposal for an Urban Forestry Charge.” (Legislative File 35027). This special charge shifts the costs of the urban forestry program from the property tax levy to a special charge-supported program. The costs of the program that will be recovered include all urban forestry costs to the City to maintain, protect and grow the City’s urban forest. The charge will only recover for services actually performed by the City, and the amount imposed may be adjusted throughout the year to account for greater or lesser expenditures. The urban forestry program serves all real property in the City and the charges are apportioned based upon the Urban Forestry Special Charge Policy, as originally approved on July 7, 2015 by RES-15-00597 (Legislative File ID No. 38644), amended on May 17, 2016 by RES-16-00368 (Legislative File ID No. 42706) and amended on May 15, 2018 by RES-18-00396.
WHEREAS, on October 21, 2014, the...
Click here for full text