Will City Refund Snowplowing Fee For Poor Performance?

A City of Milwaukee snow plow in 2020. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Death, taxes and nearly as inevitable, politicians complaining about snow plowing. At least in Milwaukee.

Frustrated by constituent concerns about poor snow plowing, four Milwaukee Common Council members have introduced a file to consider refunding the Snow and Ice Fee that pays for much of the city’s snow plowing costs.

“Milwaukee residents deserve reliable public services, especially during critical winter months,” said Alderman Peter Burgelis, the lead sponsor of the effort, in a statement. “We have to be able to provide better services to our residents – if we can’t handle 4 inches of snow now, what’s going to happen later this winter? We’re f*cked!” A subsequent version of the release cut the profanity.

Burgelis’ resolution is backed by fellow newly-elected council member Sharlen P. Moore, Andrea Pratt, now serving in her second winter, and veteran Public Works Committee chair Robert Bauman, now in his 21st season but not a happy sledder on the issue.

“Major roads were great, but many neighborhood streets weren’t salted or plowed, and cold weather over the weekend made these neighborhoods slick and dangerous,” said Moore.

The Snow and Ice Fee is expected to generate $11 million in 2025. Billed once per year on the quarterly municipal services bill, the charge is $1.13 per foot of street frontage. The average homeowner is to pay $45.20 in 2024, an amount that would rise to $46 in 2025 when the fee is increased to $1.15 per linear foot as a result of the recently-adopted city budget.

“The January 8 hearing will focus on evaluating mechanisms to provide a snowplow fee refund to some or all city residents. It will also address potential improvements to ensure timely and effective leaf collection and snow removal in the future,” says a press release announcing the hearing before the Public Works Committee.

According to the Wisconsin State Climatology Office, Milwaukee received 4.5 inches of snow between Dec. 19 and 20. It was the biggest snowstorm of the season, which has drawn only 8.60 inches to date.

A Department of Public Works representative, as the snow began to fall last week, said the city had more than 100 pieces of equipment on the streets. Crews had pre-salted city streets with brine before shifting to plowing. The city relies on two shifts of workers, and additional private contractors, to complete its plowing.

The city’s plowing performance previously came to a head in January 2020 when council members gave performance reviews that ranged from “great job” to “disaster.” Burgelis’ predecessor, Mark Borkowski, was long the most outspoken critic of DPW’s plowing performance, though he would regularly praise DPW late in his tenure.

For more on how the city plows, see our January 2020 inside look at the city’s snow plowing operations.