Forward Janesville - TheReport - Fourth Quarter 2019

6 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M So Much Winning! 2019 Government Affairs Report Card Dan Cunningham • Vice President of Government Affairs and Education • danc@forwardjanesville.com HOUSING PROGRESS: We have been a leading voice about our community’s housing challenges. The ideas presented at the City of Janesville / Forward Janesville Housing Summit in June 2018 led to proactive action at city hall. Following the summit, we encouraged the city council to allow TIF incentives to be used for residential projects outside of downtown. This new policy has led to two significant multifamily projects: The Glade, which will bring 89 high-end apartments to the market by early 2021, and Diamond Ridge, a 115-unit development off Kennedy Road. Why Does This Matter to You? Our community needs attractive, affordable and diverse housing to grow. We can’t afford to miss on this issue. We want people who work in Janesville to be able to live in Janesville—safely and comfortably. LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: We led arguments against the Governor’s proposal to make damaging changes to Tax Increment Financing (TIF) policy. The proposal would have effectively eliminated the use of pay-as-you-go TIFs, which are used by municipalities to reduce financial risk for taxpayers. This proposal would have eliminated Janesville’s ability to create small, project specific districts like the one used to aid the redevelopment of the former Menards site on Pontiac Drive. Fortunately, the final version of the state budget did not contain this proposal. Why Does This Matter to You? TIF is one of the only tools in our economic development toolbox, and Gale Price and the economic development team at the City of Janesville are masters of using it to close deals. Simply put, altering TIF law in the way the Governor proposed would have kneecapped development in Janesville. TAX CREDITS: The Governor also proposed a significant reduction in the Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit, which has virtually eliminated Wisconsin’s tax on income from manufacturing activity. Reducing this tax credit would have eliminated progress made to bring manufacturing jobs to Wisconsin. In response to the Governor’s proposal, we assembled a team of local manufacturers to tell the Governor how this change would negatively affect their businesses. One area company claimed that the tax credit allowed them to invest nearly $1.3 million in machinery and equipment. The legislature ultimately chose to leave this important tax credit as-is. Why Does This Matter to You? Manufacturing and agriculture are the backbone of Wisconsin’s economy. A strong economy benefits everyone—and the stronger these sectors are, the better our state’s economy will be. THE I-39/90 EXPANSION PROJECT: Here’s a story you may have missed: After Governor Evers took office in January, he appointed friend-of-FJI Craig Thompson (formerly of the Wisconsin Transportation Development Association) as state transportation secretary. In early March, Secretary Thompson experienced some political heat because the price of the Interstate expansion work was higher than expected. Some were using those increased costs to argue that the 2019 work should be re-bid entirely, which would have delayed the project and made it even more expensive. We went to work behind the scenes to deliver that message—and to give the Secretary enough political cover to sign the bids. He ended up doing so, and the project continued as scheduled. Why Does This Matter to You? We were the catalyst for getting the Interstate expansion underway, and have been watching over the project for more than a decade. The project is so close to completion, with major roadway construction ending in 2021. This organization and I will do anything in our power to see this project completed without delay. MILTON SCHOOL REFERENDUM: The School District of Milton put a $59.9 million capital facilities referendum on the spring election ballot. This referendum was the third of its kind, and Forward Janesville (working with our partners at the Milton Area Chamber of Commerce and others) endorsed all three of them. This time around, the referendum passed with 53 percent of the vote. Why Does This Matter to You? We supported the referendum because we support the growth of the entire region. Great schools are a complement to our organization’s economic development efforts, as quality educational infrastructure is often a key component in business site selection and/or expansion decisions. Upgrading Milton’s school infrastructure will be another arrow in Rock County’s economic development quiver. Want to be part of all this winning? Consider joining our Government Relations Council! Contact Dan Cunningham (danc@forwardjanesville.com ) for more information. As autumn gives way to winter in Wisconsin, it is time to look back at 2019 and talk about our government affairs accomplishments—and what those accomplishments mean for you.