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Residents will vote on City, Town of Verona merger

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Also by Kevin Bargnes:

Doyle wants legislators in session (December 10, 2007)
Residents will vote on City, Town of Verona merger (December 10, 2007)
Doyle to beef up agriculture funds (December 3, 2007)
Governor announces state BadgerCare approval (November 29, 2007)
Doyle, other governors vow to reduce emissions (November 19, 2007)

by Kevin Bargnes

Monday, December 10, 2007

Voters in the city of Verona and the town of Verona will decide whether the two municipalities will merge, after officials decided to include the referendum on the April ballot.

The two Madison suburbs, while considered to be one area by many, actually operate separately. The city of Verona has a population of just over 7,000, while the mostly rural town of Verona has a population of 2,000.

The referendum will give voters in both municipalities the chance to vote on whether to merge. Wisconsin law requires the decision on a merger be made by a vote of the people.

"This is the most significant issue that the residents of Verona have ever dealt with, so it should go to the public, regardless of state law," said city of Verona Mayor John Hochkammer.

According to city of Verona Ald. Brad Stiner, District 3, the town of Verona has been a victim of multiple annexations over the past few years. The cities of Verona, Fitchburg, Oregon and Madison have all purchased town of Verona land and made it their own, at as much as $40,000 or $50,000 an acre.

"The town is scared they're going to lose their way of life," Stiner said. "We're gobbling up 15 to 30 acres a year, and the town is trying to stop that."

Stiner was the only dissenting vote on the city's council.

"They can't tell me how much it's going to cost," Stiner said. "The amount of money that we will earn from [the Town's] property taxes will not pay for the amount of things we will incur."

Hochkammer made it clear he does not believe the extra expenditures will be a problem, mostly because the city of Verona will grow with the town's land.

"If that area all becomes the city, we have more control on that development," Hochkammer said.

Stiner said he does not think the city of Verona's alders have informed their constituents of the possible ramifications of the merger — and if that continues, then the voters will likely pass the referendum.

"If the elected constituents haven't been talking about it, then yes, the people will vote for it," Stiner said. "But I don't know if they know what they're voting for."

The referendum must be passed by both municipalities in order for the merger to take place. If passed, the merger will occur in January 2009.

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