We would like to thank Braden Smith for his well-written and thought-provoking article about the village of Shorewood Hills and its relationship with the city of Madison (""Shorewood Hills, Monona take advantage of the city of Madison,"" Feb. 14). However, we were a bit dismayed by the number and extent of misconceptions and factual inaccuracies upon which it was based. I hope to address only the most important of these.
First, the portion of a property tax bill that goes to the municipality makes up only a small fraction of the total. The vast majority goes to the state, county, school district and Madison Area Technical College. Since village residents are also in these other taxing districts, they pay the same taxes to them as residents of the city of Madison. The local jurisdiction only gets whatever is left over. Further, Shorewood Hills residents pay only about $3 per $1,000 of assessed valuation less than their Madison neighbors in property taxes. This hardly qualifies Shorewood Hills as a Cayman Islands style ""tax haven.""
Second, as a separate municipal entity much like Middleton or Lake Mills, Shorewood Hills maintains its own police, fire and EMS services to preserve local control and efficiency that would be lost by absorption by a large top-heavy bureaucracy. Our police department of six full-time and 13 part-time officers provides police services at a cost of about $50 per month per household for 24/7 coverage. Fire and EMS services are provided by a tiny paid staff and about 80 volunteers.
Third, recreation facilities in Shorewood Hills have all been constructed with local tax dollars, including the community pool. Everyone using the pool must purchase a membership, including residents. While residents do receive a modest discount, most memberships are currently held by nonresidents.
Fourth, Mr. Smith correctly points out the many benefits Shorewood Hills residents realize from their close proximity to a prosperous and culturally active urban center. The fact that we are somewhat geographically closer than other suburbs does not seem to provide sufficient justification for singling Shorewood Hills out in this regard. Further, while Shorewood does benefit from these amenities, it also suffers from all of the problems of traffic, smog, crime and storm water runoff attendant with that proximity. Village residents have little or no input on nearby development or its impacts on the village, particularly those taking place on the UW-Madison campus.
Finally, even if Mr. Smith had researched his topic sufficiently to provide for a modicum of accuracy, we are curious as to what he is proposing. One of the foundation stones of American democracy has been and presumably continues to be self-determination. It is not ""zoning law"" that protects the village of Shorewood Hills from being absorbed by its larger neighbor; it is the Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Wisconsin. As long as the voters of Shorewood Hills wish to continue to constitute themselves as a separate municipal entity, no other governmental agency can dictate otherwise.
Shorewood Hills has built something that anyone would find enviable. With a population of just over 1,700 and some 620 households, the village consistently generates more than 200 volunteers at any one time. In addition to the Fire and EMS services, volunteers provide service to more than 20 standing advisory boards, commissions and committees. Village employees and volunteers are willing and able to provide services to its residents that would be unthinkable if it became just another Madison neighborhood. It is able to generate this kind of commitment, dedication and passion because of the strong sense of community that pervades the village.
The governor's proposal will also affect the village's 2002 budget if it makes it through the legislature. Unlike some other municipalities, Shorewood Hills is slated to lose all its shared revenue this year. While the actual dollar amount is not large, it does have an impact on a small village budget. Where possible, the village has worked with all of its neighbors to develop cooperative service agreements for police, fire and other services to realize economies of scale. In all these ways and many more, the village will continue to contribute to the greater Madison community.
