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Marathon County committee declines to advance resolution to join Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition
Summary
A resolution to join the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition failed to pass in committee after members expressed concerns about advocacy and local control. The coalition’s representative described the group as a resource and peer network for local governments.
A motion to forward a resolution authorizing Marathon County to join the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition failed after committee members debated whether joining would amount to adopting an advocacy position.
The resolution was introduced by Supervisor Kroll and included an online presentation from Allison Lisonbee Carlson of the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition. Lisonbee Carlson said the coalition "wants to be a platform where local governments can collaborate on overcoming barriers, to becoming more resilient, accelerating local solutions, and also ensuring that we make the transition to clean energy as we do that, that we're meeting the needs of today and in the future, for all communities across the state." She also said membership is free and the coalition is funded by charitable foundations and grants.
Nut graf: Proponents argued coalition membership would give Marathon County access to shared resources, technical assistance and peer learning on efficiency, renewable energy and resilience. Opponents said the county should remain independent and not join what one supervisor described as "issue advocacy groups," preferring to evaluate recommendations independently.
Committee discussion focused on financial transparency, local control, and practical benefits. Supervisor Poole asked for a list of the coalition’s donors; Lisonbee Carlson named the Energy Foundation and the McKnight Foundation as current funders. Supervisor Lemmer and others said the group could help the county find low-cost operational efficiencies and grant opportunities. Supervisor Hurt asked whether the coalition advocates on specific technologies; Lisonbee Carlson replied, "we don't, we're mainly for resources," and said members can take recommendations and apply them as they see fit.
A motion to recommend the resolution to the full county board was made, seconded and brought to a roll-call vote. The motion failed on the committee floor. Chair Gibbs thanked Kroll and Lisonbee Carlson for the presentation and the item moved off the agenda.
Ending: Committee members who supported the idea said they might revisit similar proposals in other forms (for example, a local task force) but did not advance the coalition membership at this time.
