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Politics & Government

Mayor Scrima's Referendum Request On Hold

Finance committee to consider mayor's referendum request July 26. Committee also to review early approval of 2012 road improvements at next meeting.

Tuesday night, the Finance Committee delayed action on Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima’s request for a new city policy that would require any city project with expenditures over $50 million to automatically be put to a referendum, pending information from the city attorney.

The committee approved the motion to put the item on hold until the next finance committee meeting, July 26.  The city’s ordinance and licensing committee will review the mayor’s request at its July 25 meeting.

Finance Committee Chairman Joe Pieper said that the city attorney’s office has requested that the committees give them some time to prepare information about the mayor’s request. He also said he met with Alderman Johnson and the mayor about the request.

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Scrima told the finance committee that the issue is one of importance for city residents.

“Any City of Waukesha expenditure, any single expenditure, that’s over $50 million will have a significant impact on family budgets and the desirability for businesses and citizens to be here and move here in the future,” Scrima said.

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The finance committee also rescheduled action on the approval of 2012 road improvements as requested by Director of Public Works Fred Abadi.

In tabling the request, Pieper cited the need to determine how the proposed 2012 road improvement projects would fit into other public works projects, in particular storm water retention plans. He also was concerned that early approval of the improvements would be a shift in policy of how the city budgets for the year.

“It’s a valid idea. I think it’s a very good idea. But for me, I want to make sure that we’ve thought this through completely and we’ve turned over every stone and given it some thought,” Pieper said.

Abadi had asked the finance committee to separate budget approval of the 2012 road improvements from the capital improvements in order to allow bidding of some of the road projects in 2011. Road improvements on the slate for 2012 include major reconstruction of Grand Avenue from Newhall Avenue to the railroad tracks and West Avenue from Newhall to Dunbar avenues.

City Administrator Lori Curtis Luther also expressed concern.

“I think we’re going to have to re-evaluate how we’re funding our CIP and what other revenue sources might be available,” she said.

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