Reducing street lighting fee in the best interest of our residents

Today during a special meeting of the Common Council, my colleagues and I will discuss a resolution that would reduce the Street Light Cost Recovery Special Charge to $0 for the first and second quarters of 2021. With this new fee slated to appear on residents’ upcoming second-quarter water utility bills, the time to provide this much needed relief is now, and I’m proud to be sponsoring this file.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused economic instability for many of our constituents over the last year, and is one of several reasons I opposed the creation of this street lighting fee when it was originally proposed. The decision to introduce this legislation eliminating the fee for the first two quarters of the year is solely about providing financial relief for Milwaukeeans, something we have all been advocating for during these hard economic times.

While this relief would only be temporary, it is part of a larger effort to minimize the financial burden placed on our taxpayers. As we progress through the year, I look forward to examining and discussing all of the potential opportunities with my colleagues and our residents.

As has been much discussed in recent weeks, the City of Milwaukee will receive more than $400 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This funding can help support some of the initiatives and public services in the same way the street lighting fee would have, and I look forward to engaging the community and discussing the ways in which they feel this federal money should be allocated. This is all just another reason to reduce the street lighting fee now and allow residents to have a little extra money in their pockets.

We rarely receive opportunities like this one to make such a profound impact on our community. I hope my colleagues join me in voting to reduce the street lighting fee and supporting our residents citywide.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.