For Immediate Release
Fitchburg, WI – March 12, 2025—The Fitchburg Common Council is set to consider implementing an annual vehicle registration fee at its April 8, 2025 meeting, following an unsuccessful referendum in the fall of 2024. City leaders have been exploring alternative revenue sources to meet Fitchburg's growing needs, and one potential option is the enactment of an annual vehicle registration fee to help fund transportation-related expenses.
The proposed vehicle registration fee is not required to fund the city's overall budget. Instead, any revenue generated would be directed into a segregated account specifically designated for transportation projects. This initiative comes as Fitchburg faces challenges similar to many other municipalities in the state, several of which have already implemented an annual vehicle registration fee to support transportation funding.
The vehicle registration fee has been permissible under Wisconsin law since 1967, as outlined in Wis. Stat. 341.35. As of March 1, 2025, 48 cities and 13 counties in Wisconsin have enacted, or will enact, a vehicle registration fee. Fitchburg may now join those jurisdictions in creating a dedicated revenue stream for transportation infrastructure.
If the proposal is approved, vehicles with registration expiring in August 2025, or any vehicles registered on or after August 1, 2025, will be subject to an annual $40 fee, which the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will collect at the time of vehicle registration or renewal. The estimated revenue from this $40 fee is expected to generate $1,000,000 for transportation-related purposes for the City.
The Fitchburg Common Council will discuss and vote on the proposed vehicle registration fee at its meeting on April 8, 2025.
For further information, including a list of municipalities currently assessing a vehicle registration fee, visit the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s website at WisDOT.
For additional information, please contact Adam Sayre, Deputy City Administrator, phone (608) 270-4209 or via email: adam.sayre@fitchburgwi.gov.