WHEREAS, Senate Bill 17 introduced by Senator Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) and Assembly Bill 79 introduced by Representative Samantha Kerkman (R-Genoa City) which authorize the creation of charter towns are being proposed for consideration in the legislature of the State of Wisconsin; and,

WHEREAS, SB 17 and AB 79 would convey city and village (urban) powers to Charter Towns, exempting them from the orderly and proven progression from rural communities to urban communities by eliminating municipal annexation and extraterritorial zoning and subdivision approval powers; and

WHEREAS, freezing village and city borders, which incorporate 70 percent of Wisconsin's population, from growth into 95 percent of Wisconsin's lands that are presently located within Towns; and, closing off villages and cities from growth in tax base occurring on its fringe will greatly exacerbate tax rate disparities between municipalities and surrounding towns which may lead to the deterioration and economic decline of the urban/job centers of Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, the proposed SB 17 and AB 79 would prohibit a village or city from acquiring land in an adjacent town even by gift for parks, wells, wastewater treatment plants, streets, sewer extensions or any other public purpose; and

WHEREAS, the SB 17 and AB 79 create a new highbred municipality which is unnecessary and may cause urban sprawl, duplication and overlap of services, and adverse land uses; and

WHEREAS, the City of Burlington must ensure fair and equitable taxation of its citizenry, must pursue and fulfill its destiny and must preserve and protect its future growth as envisioned by the framers of the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Burlington Common Council opposes the passage of SB 17, AB 79 and any other bill by the Wisconsin State Legislature which creates Charter Towns and further urges our State representatives Senator Robert Wirch of the 22^nd Senate District and Representative Samantha Kerkman of the 66^th Assembly District to also lead opposition to such legislation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Burlington Common Council supports the orderly progression from rural agricultural towns to urban residential, commercial and industrial villages and cities, and supports the time proven method for protection of urban population centers from incompatible land uses by means of extraterritorial platting and zoning.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk is directed to send a copy of this Resolution to our City’s State representatives, Senator Robert Wirch and Representative Samantha Kerkman and to the State representatives, Mayors and Presidents of every city and village in the County’s of Racine, Kenosha and Walworth.