Finance Articles

Upon hearing resident Barry Brown’s 3 minute speech during the city council meeting of August 25, 2025 we requested Mr. Brown to provide his documentation to SCA for a follow-up story.
 
Here’s what you need to know, in his words:

Responding to resident pressure, the Shorewood council is considering options for a new engineering service model.
 
The contract for the current provider, Bolton & Menk expires in December 2025.

In a little more than 3-1/2 years, the Shorewood City Council and city staff have spent $38.2MM which additionally burdened residents with $23MM in bonding debt.
 
Another $20.5MM in bonding debt is planned in the upcoming years.
 
That’s more than $14,000 per household in debt repayments alone.

Every penny spent, whether on paper clips or a snow plow, comes from your fees and taxes. The budget is the city’s financial plan for the anticipated expenses over the next fiscal year.
 
As a taxpayer, your participation in the budget process can influence the outcome.

Between January 2020 and July 2024 Bolton & Menk billed the City of Shorewood $6,968,361. That’s an average $126,697/mo. or $1,520,364 per year!
 
The amount of money billed by Bolton & Menk for engineering services in one single year is so staggering that the city could double the number of Public Works employees and still have money to hire 3-4 full time engineers.
 
Why did the City Council allow this to happen? You decide!

At the regular City Council meeting on Sept. 26, 2022, the City Council voted 4-1 to approve the plans for reconstruction of Birch Bluff Road. Labadie, Siakel, Johnson and Callies voted yes. Gorham voted no.
 
Included in those plans and specifications, were plans for a water improvement project at a cost projection of $913,000.00.