Town Government Quiz

How much do you know about town government in Wisconsin? Maybe less than you think. Take the following quiz to find out, and learn some surprising facts along the way:

1. While most people think of towns as thinly-populated, rural communities, well over 100 towns have populations in excess of 2,500 (by comparison, the average village in Wisconsin has a population of 1,500). What percentage of Wisconsin's overall population lives in towns?

About:

a) 10%

b) 15%

c) 30%

2. Some city and village leaders charge that town residents are essentially "freeloaders" who consume services that they don't pay for. Is it true that town property taxpayers carry a disproportionately small share of the state's overall property tax burden?

a) Yes, town residents tend to be freeloaders

b) No, town residents pay a fair share of taxes

3. Each year, state government distributes nearly $830 million to cities, villages and towns through the "shared revenue" and other aid distribution formulas that are funded from state income, sales and other tax programs. Do town governments get a relatively thin slice of the state aid pie?

a) Yes, state aid distribution formulas tend to favor cities and villages

b) No, the state distributes most aids on a proportionate basis

4. City and village officials often justify their pro-annexation policies (and, indeed, proposals for stronger annexation powers) on the grounds that they can provide better municipal services and a more "regional" approach to land use planning. Does this mean that state law prevents them from approving an annexation if these conditions are not met?

a) Yes, annexations must promote broad public interests to be approved

b) No, state law allows self-serving annexations by cities and villages

5. Town officials often complain about the disruptive effect annexations can have on their finances and operations. But are they exaggerating the scale of the problem? On average, how often are annexation petitions filed in Wisconsin?

About:

a) Once a month

b) Once a week

c) Once a day

Thanks for taking our quiz. We hope you found it informative and we invite you to learn more about the WTA position on key issues by linking to the 2007-08 WTA Legislative Agenda.

One question for which there is no clear answer is what can be done to end the turf battles and finger-pointing that often undercut the relationships Wisconsin towns have with their city and village neighbors. Perhaps part of the answer is to dispel some of the inaccurate assumptions that are made about towns and the problems they face.