Sewers & Housing Policies

Via The Political Environment, I see that the state is proposing to reduce the state subsidy of sewer projects in the clean water fund.  This brings up two issues I'd like to point to. 

Very often what a government unit calls cost-reducing or budget-cutting is really a matter of cost-shifting to a different party.  In this case, state "budget cuts" shifts the cost to local municipalities.

Wisconsin municipalities building sewers or expanding sewage treatment plants in the next two years would pay up to $59 million more in interest costs to repay loans through the state's clean water fund, under a proposal approved last week by the Legislature's budget committee.

This just might actually lead to better zoning and policies if communities try to limit the cost of new sewer pipes to new subdivisions.  Nearly a year ago, I commented on a study on actual costs of development which found that very often there are hidden costs (such as sewers and other services) to new subdivisions that municipalities may not realize exist.  With higher costs, municipalities might be taking a closer look at issues such as density and sprawl.