Governor Tony Evers was in Sheboygan on Wednesday to fill potholes…and to talk transportation budgets. His appearance was part of his statewide “Pothole Patrol Tour” to discuss his investments and efforts to improve local roads and highways.
After cleaning a pothole with a broom and joining Sheboygan Mayor Ryan Sorenson in shoveling the asphalt fill and tamping down several potholes on North 31st Street, the Governor took time to talk about his investments and how he’s directing state money to improve roadways. He said that even with gas prices now coming down again, both the roads and the people of Wisconsin could be well-served by steering some of the State’s current $5 billion surplus into funding a gas tax holiday. Evers said that the gas tax holiday option was still on the table, but that it has to be temporary, and that the surplus must be used so as to avoid losing money that’s needed to keep Wisconsin roads safe.
Republicans in the legislature have already rejected that idea, saying instead that there shouldn’t be a surplus in the first place, and that it ought to go back to the people. The Governor said that the gas tax holiday would be one way to do exactly what the Republicans have wanted, adding that Republicans may have forgotten that they worked with the Governor to decrease income taxes by 15%, and so Wisconsinites have already saved 4-5 billion dollars over the past few years, and that he’s not against doing more – but that they must have forgotten that he’s already helped.
Sheboygan Mayor Ryan Sorenson, who joined the governor in the pothole filling, said that he is satisfied with the money the State of Wisconsin is steering towards Sheboygan. Sorenson did say that Sheboygan could always use a little more money, and that the State has to do its part, working with Sheboygan to make sure the City is getting its cut so that the City can get “caught up” and fix the roads. And while the current funding might be fine for now, when asked that if he could get more, would he do more? He replied: “100%! We have the capacity to, we just gotta make sure that we can target the key infrastructure projects to make sure that we’re getting it done.”
Sheboygan DPW Crews Supervise as Mayor Ryan Sorenson and Governor Tony Evers Fill a Pothole on Wednesday. Photo by Kevin Zimmermann
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