La Crosse County makes plans to promote highway funding questions

Those four highway funding referendums planned by La Crosse County this fall will need some explaining, or at least, publicity.

The county may spend up to $30,000 to inform the public about the referendums.

“We had workshop meeting today to begin the process of planning this voter information campaign but we’re waiting to see if there’s approval from the board before we get too far into the details at this stage of the game,” county board chair Tara Johnson said.

The idea, of course, is that people will have to know what they’re voting on.

“You put the questions on the ballot and, if we do nothing to educate voters and inform them of the four questions, we think that’s irresponsible,” Johnson said.

The proposed options include a premier resort area tax (PRAT) and a county wheel tax.

Johnson says one mailing about the referendums probably will be sent to voters before the election, adding the flyer isn’t meant to persuade voters to approve any one option but, mainly, to explain what ‘yes’ and ‘no’ votes would mean.

Johnson talked about how a similar campaign was launched last year before a referendum supporting the PRAT, which was basically a 1-percent tax on most goods sold in the county.