Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 86 - Miscellaneous highway provisions.
86.303 - Cost determinations.

86.303 Cost determinations.
(4) Multiyear average costs.
(a) The multiyear average costs used to determine the share of cost aids amount for local units of government shall be based on the 6 most recent years for which actual costs are available.
(b) In the case of municipalities formed within the previous 6 years, the information needed for the determinations under this section shall be calculated as follows: for those years for which the necessary data does not exist, the data for the new municipality and the municipality from which it was formed shall be combined and the sum shall be apportioned to each municipality in proportion to the total mileage of highways under their respective jurisdictions. In making these calculations, the department shall use the certified plats filed under s. 86.302 (1g).
(5) Annual costs data.
(ag) In this subsection, “working day" has the meaning given in s. 227.01 (14).
(am) The department, with the assistance of the department of revenue and representatives of local governments and their associations appointed by the secretary, shall prescribe a uniform cost reporting procedure.
(b) Cost data shall be reported on a calendar year basis, and financial report forms or a written request for extension shall be submitted to the department of revenue as provided under pars. (c) and (d). All extensions under this paragraph shall be until May 15 and no extension beyond that date may be granted.
(c) The department and the department of revenue shall prescribe a statewide uniform financial reporting procedure under s. 73.10 for municipalities having a population of 2,500 or less. The financial report form or a written request for extension shall be submitted to the department of revenue by March 31 by municipalities having a population of 2,500 or less for the purposes under this section. All extensions under this paragraph shall be until May 15 and no extension beyond that date may be granted. The department of revenue shall forward the highway-related cost data to the department.
(d) The department and the department of revenue shall prescribe a statewide uniform financial reporting procedure under s. 73.10 for counties having a population of more than 2,500 and municipalities having a population of more than 2,500. The financial report forms or a written request for extension shall be submitted to the department of revenue by May 1 by counties having a population of more than 2,500 and municipalities having a population of more than 2,500 for the purposes under this section. All extensions under this paragraph shall be until May 15 and no extension beyond that date may be granted. The department of revenue shall forward the highway-related cost data to the department. Counties having a population of 25,000 or more and municipalities having a population of 25,000 or more are required to submit a financial report form to the department of revenue under this paragraph and financial reports under par. (g).
(e) Except as provided in par. (f), if a county or municipality fails to submit a substantially complete and accurate financial report form by the applicable date under par. (c) or (d) each year, the aids payable to the county or municipality during the following year shall be equal to 90 percent of the aids actually paid to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2) during the preceding year.
(f) If a county or municipality submits a substantially complete and accurate financial report form within 30 calendar days after the applicable date under par. (c) or (d), the aids payable to the county or municipality for the following year shall be reduced by an amount equal to 1 percent of the aids payable to the county or municipality for the following year for each working day after the date required in par. (c) or (d) that the report form is actually submitted, subject to the following limitations:
1. The amount of the reduction may not exceed 10 percent of the aids payable to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2) for the following year.
2. The amount of aids payable to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2) during the following year may not be reduced to less than 90 percent of the aids actually paid to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2) during the preceding year.
3. For a village or town, the amount of the reduction may not exceed $100 for each working day after the date required in par. (c) or (d) that the report form is actually submitted.
4. For a village or town, the amount of the reduction may not exceed $2,200.
(g) The department and the department of revenue shall prescribe a uniform financial reporting procedure under s. 73.10 for counties having a population of 25,000 or more and municipalities having a population of 25,000 or more for the purposes under this section and for the purposes of administering other local aid programs, as defined by the department of revenue by rule. The financial reports specified by the department of revenue shall be submitted to that department by July 31 each year. The department of revenue shall forward the highway-related cost data from the reports to the department.
(h) Except as provided in par. (i), if a county or municipality under par. (g) fails to submit the financial reports required under par. (g) by July 31 each year, the aids payable to the county or municipality during the following year shall be equal to 90 percent of the aids actually paid to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2) during the preceding year.
(i) If a county or municipality under par. (g) submits the financial reports required under par. (g) within 30 calendar days after July 31, the aids payable to the county or municipality for the following year shall be reduced by an amount equal to 1 percent of the aids payable to the county or municipality for the following year for each working day after July 31 that the report form is actually submitted, subject to the following limitations:
1. The amount of the reduction may not exceed 10 percent of the aids payable to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2) for the following year.
2. The amount of aids payable to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2) during the following year may not be reduced to less than 90 percent of the aids actually paid to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2) during the preceding year.
(j) The aids payable to a county or municipality that is required to submit a financial report form under par. (d) and financial reports under par. (g) shall be reduced under any applicable provision of par. (e), (f), (h) or (i), subject to the limitations under pars. (f) and (i).
(6) Eligible cost items. All public road, street or alley construction and maintenance expenditures within the right-of-way are generally reportable as eligible cost items.
(a) Maintenance items include without limitation because of enumeration:
1. Pavement and curb and gutter repair.
2. Maintenance of bridges, culverts and storm sewers.
3. Snow plowing and ice control.
4. Maintenance of traffic control devices.
(b) Construction items include without limitation because of enumeration:
1. Storm drainage systems, culverts and bridges.
2. Grading, base and surface.
3. Marking, signs and traffic control signals.
4. Engineering.
5. Right-of-way acquisition, including relocation assistance.
(c) The following other costs to the extent they are highway related are reportable:
1. Machinery and vehicle costs.
2. Expenditures for buildings required for road or street purposes.
3. Interest cost related to funds borrowed to finance any eligible cost item.
4. Street lighting costs.
(cm) Some portion of law enforcement costs determined by the department, in consultation with the representatives appointed under sub. (5) (am), may be reported as eligible cost items. The department may establish different portions under this paragraph for different classes of counties or municipalities.
(d) Road, street or alley costs not eligible include costs that are financed with public funds other than road or street funds, items that are by statute, ordinance or local policy not a public expense or responsibility and all administrative costs. Costs not eligible include costs incurred on every way or place in private ownership and used for vehicular travel only by the owner and those having express or implied permission from the owner and every road, alley or driveway upon the grounds of public institutions.
(e) Cost data shall not include state or federal contributions to the work, all other public agency fund contributions, and all private contributions other than local assessments or special assessments paid by governmental agencies.
(f) The department shall provide a manual of cost reporting guidelines which further details eligible and ineligible costs.
(7) Cost review and audit.
(a) The department shall analyze the county and municipal highway-related cost data to identify that data that does not conform to reasonable averages and statistical groups or with previous reported costs. The department may request information from those municipalities or counties to explain the deviation. If not satisfied, the department may order the municipality or county to conduct and report to the department an independent certified audit of its financial report or, if the county or municipality has already conducted an audit of its financial report which complies with requirements under 31 USC 7501 to 7505, may require the county or municipality to provide the department with an itemization of data comprising that audit. The costs of an audit or of providing the department itemized data comprising an audit shall be a reportable cost item if the audit substantially verifies the original financial report.
(b) If the county or municipality fails to conduct an independent audit when ordered to do so by the department, the aids payable during the following year shall be equal to 90 percent of the aids actually paid during the preceding year. If the department has reason to believe that the 90 percent payment will be greater than the actual payment should be, the department may itself order an independent audit and deduct the audit costs from the transportation aids paid to the county or municipality under s. 86.30 (2). Any underpayment or overpayment of aids resulting from financial reporting errors shall be rectified by adjusting aids paid in the following year.
(c) Any municipality having a population of 2,500 or less which has submitted its financial report form may amend it prior to March 31 or prior to May 15 if a written request for extension has been received by the department of revenue. Any county or any municipality having a population over 2,500 which has submitted its financial report form may amend it prior to May 1 or prior to May 15 if a written request for extension has been received by the department of revenue. Any amendments shall be submitted to the department of revenue. Any county or municipality which desires to amend its financial report form after May 15 shall submit an independent, certified audit to the department of revenue no later than August 15.
(d) Any county or municipality that desires to amend past-year cost reports shall submit an independent, certified audit to the department. Any county or municipality that desires to amend past-year financial report forms shall submit amendments to the department of revenue.
History: 1977 c. 29; 1979 c. 34, 221; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 27, 192, 405; 1985 a. 29, 332; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 167; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 216; 1997 a. 106; 1999 a. 9; 2021 a. 102.

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