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Dear Editor;
Once again, the city is buying worthless property with my money. Not long ago they bought an apartment building that had tenants (provided low cost housing), paid property taxes, spent MY money and YOUR money to tear it down and the lot sits vacant. The building behind the courthouse was untouched for years and nothing was done but no action was taken. They did the same with the drive through dairy / ice cream shop on the Bequette Street years ago to the tune (according to someone who worked on the project) of almost $50K. What do we have? A parking lot for vendors (who don't pay property taxes for their business) and others and NOTHING that provides for the people of Dodgeville who paid for it except legal liability for anything that should happen on city property.
We were told then, as we have been in the past at both the local and state levels, "Don't worry, the money comes from the Whatever Fund." I hate to tell you this city, county and state politicians, all the money in the funds came from TAXPAYERS. Do you remember when they wanted to buy the old welding shop on the north end of town until I pointed out it was too small for city vehicles, blocks away from the current facility (which has room to expand) and would require serious investments (and duplicating all the existing equipment) to make it minimally useful? How about the beautiful industrial scrap yard formerly known as the Dodgeville Truck Stop? It wasn't glorious but it was a more welcome sight as you enter town than the mess we have there now.
Some basic concepts as to how other government entities do business:
1) If there is concern about ANY building in the municipality, a complaint is filed with the municipality.
2) The governing entity then directs the proper authority to conduct a building inspection according ALL building codes.
3) The inspector cites all failures and depending on the severity may (if not so authorized) ask the courts to ban occupancy until all issues have been corrected by a certain date.
4) After a prescribed time, the municipality may condemn the property and if statutes allow, place a lien on the property to cover costs in mitigating any public hazards and sue the property owner for costs. Then take the property and auction it off to someone to develop it and pay taxes.
I don't need to buy any more buildings or property without a defined need. As it said in the paper, the city MAY use the property but there is no need, it's small and in a poor location.
According to public records, Iowa County pays (also our taxpayer money) Lawrence Bierke a salary of $115,286 to develop businesses. I admit there may be something major unseen by my eyes but I've seen one new building in the area in 5 years. If you want to see change, have the County direct Mr. Bierke to find businesses to take over these sites that the Mayor and the city find personally upsetting. When I do a search for Dodgeville real estate for sale, I don't see ANY of the city property listed. Let's free our assets, fix our streets and quit wasting taxpayer money.
Municipalities and all forms of government should be run like a business (because they are). No company would charge its customers more (taxes) because it wants to buy worthless property. Time to be responsible.
John Curran
Dodgeville. WI