Iron County communities receive more than $470,000 in transportation aid

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation issued its first quarterly transportation aid payment of the year earlier this month, with municipalities around Wisconsin receiving a combined $126 million — including more than $470,000 to Iron County and its cities and towns.

“These payments represent part of the cooperative work we do with local governments across the state to keep goods and services moving throughout Wisconsin,” WisDOT Secretary-designee Craig Thompson said Monday in the announcement of the aid payments. “We are committed to investing wisely and working hard together to come up with innovative, efficient transportation solutions.”

The general transportation aid helps communities build, maintain and operate their roads and streets, according to the WisDOT announcement, while connecting highway aid goes towards maintenance and traffic control on qualifying state highways within their municipal boundaries.

Iron County, its 10 towns and two cities received a total of $471,417, which was distributed as follows:

—Iron County received $73,974.

—Town of Anderson received $25,373.

—Town of Cary received $25,301.

—Town of Gurney received $21,720.

—Town of Kimball received $29,788.

—Town of Knight received $33,112.

—Town of Mercer received $104,725.

—Town of Oma received $27,572.

—Town of Pence received $19,172.

—Town of Saxon received $25,471.

—Town of Sherman received $29,663.

—City of Hurley received $37,096.

—City of Montreal received $8,442.

Almost all those funds were general transportation aid — with the exception of the town of Pence, which received $11,230 in general transportation aid and $7,933 in supplemental transportation aid.

The cities, towns and villages in Wisconsin received their payments on the first Monday in January, April, July and October. County payments are made in three installments, with county’s receiving 25% of their funding in January and October, and a 50% payment on the first Monday in July.

—Richard Jenkins