If recommendations by the city’s Board of Estimates are approved, dirt and snow on State Street may no longer be removed by the city.
Instead, the board is recommending State Street merchants take care of trash buildup themselves and put in more effort to keep the street clean.
The Board of Estimates will hold a public hearing Monday to discuss the recommendations, which have been in the works since January.
Reynold Peterson, a Madison Civic Center representative, said the City Council asked the board to re-evaluate Madison’s State Street maintenance assessment and calculations.
Supporters of the changes in services said the city could stand to save hundreds of millions of dollars by transferring maintenance duties to merchants–money some say could be better spent elsewhere.
“The fiscal difficulties created by the potential loss of shared revenue from the state of Wisconsin, this year or in future years, might necessitate the city to stop all the extra services provided and shift the city’s funding to a higher priority service,” the notice of the board’s public hearing read.
But State Street business owners disagree. Ross Johnson, owner of State Street Brats, 603 State St., and member of the Greater State Street Business Association, said cutting city services could have adverse affects on businesses that can’t afford to foot the maintenance bill.
Johnson said property taxes on State Street are among the city’s highest and that adding more expenses to the street’s locally owned businesses could potentially shut them down.
“Essentially, Starbucks and the Gap will be the only ones who can afford to pay rent,” Johnson said.
Peterson said if the changes take effect, State Street merchants would be responsible for snow and debris removal just like the property owners in Madison’s residential neighborhoods. He said residents in areas outside downtown said they do not want to continue paying for State Street services, which they partially fund through taxes.
“There are alders from [non-downtown] districts saying, ‘Why aren’t the [State Street] merchants paying more?'” Peterson said.
But Johnson said services provided on State Street benefit the entire city. He said the Greater State Street Business Association was informed of the maintenance issue in order to “intelligently ask questions of the Board of Estimates.”
“State Street merchants are willing to work with the city to adjust services, but there are still questions we want answered before the city raises fees,” Johnson said.
The Board of Estimates public hearing will be held Monday at 5:30 p.m. in room 260 of the Madison Municipal Building.
