Country Living Articles:
6. "Buying or Living in the Country: Have You Thought About...Services and Utilities?"
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6. "Buying or Living in the Country: Have You Thought About...Services and Utilities?" |
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By Glacierland Resource Conservation and Development Council and David C. Such, University of Wisconsin - Extension |
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Note: This is the sixth in a series of articles focusing on country living and information that should be considered by those thinking about rural residency. In Wisconsin the basic unit of government is the town. The Wisconsin Constitution created towns to provide governmental services to rural areas. During the 1850s, the principle role assigned to towns was developing and maintaining a transportation network to move farm products to market. Today town governments still allocate a major portion of their budgets to roads as compared to other services. Although snowplowing and road maintenance are among the biggest budget items for towns, plowing and maintenance schedules may be substantially different from those in urban areas due to lower population density, longer distances, more miles of road involved and contractual agreements. Funds to provide town services are raised through tax collection. A town assessor determines the value for each property; the town board then presents a proposed annual budget to the voting residents who set the annual town tax levy. The town treasurer collects property taxes, not only for the town but also for school districts, county government, technical colleges and any special purpose units such as sanitary or lake districts. The school district tax is usually the largest portion of the total tax. Towns provide protection and emergency services. The small population of most towns, however, makes it inefficient to maintain facilities or personnel for all services. Most towns contract or make cooperative arrangements with other towns, villages or cities for fire and ambulance (usually staffed by volunteers) and police services (often the County Sheriff Department). Emergency services personnel urge rural residents to keep long or winding driveways clear and wide enough [a 12 foot high by 12 foot wide area is necessary to accommodate a fire truck] to provide emergency access. Towns are also authorized, but not required, to provide other public works and safety services. In general, towns close to urban areas provide more of these services (such as sewer, water or highway lighting) than remote towns. Usually the further one locates from urban centers the less likely certain types of services or utilities may be available, or there may be fewer choices. For example, some rural areas are not served by natural gas lines which reduces the number of home heating options; television reception may be poor and cable unavailable which results in the need for a satellite dish. Services or utilities often taken for granted, such as electricity and telephone, require line extensions to the residence. Connection charges are usually charged directly to the property owner and can be costly due to distances from the carrier lines. Other services simply may not be close-at-hand in rural areas and consideration must be given to where they can be obtained. These could include grocery stores, gas stations, repair shops or hardware stores. The distances to schools and related extra-curricular activities, churches, cultural activities and entertainment should also be given consideration. Few rural communities have bus service [beyond the daily school bus pick-up and drop-off] and the result is more trips and time behind the wheel. It could also represent a significant shift in the household budget due to increased fuel costs and vehicle maintenance. As the population of rural areas increases, so does the desire for more services. As a result, rural residents find themselves having to make tough decisions - lower taxes or more services? Understanding how services and utilities may effect lifestyle and costs is an important consideration for rural landowners. While there are undoubtedly many more questions about living or buying in the country, seeking answers and information on the topics already discussed should provide a foundation of information upon which intelligent decisions can be based. To assist in finding answers and/or for more information, contact Greg Hines, Coordinator, Glacierland RC&D, 3086 Voyager Drive, Suite 1, Green Bay, WI 54311. Telephone 920/465-3006. Fax 920/465-3010. Email: greg.hines@wi.usda.gov Revised 11.03 |
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