The Village of Hortonville board voted Sept. 4 to accept a contract with financial-advising firm Ehlers to create Tax Incremental District 7 (TID 7). The board approved the contract in the amount of $18,000.

Administrator Nathan described the purpose of a new TID as supporting longer-term redevelopment efforts in an area north of downtown that could include the Nature’s Haven subdivision and other parcels the village hopes to guide toward redevelopment. Nathan said wetlands within the area will require revised subdivision designs and that state and county rules have changed since early plans; creating a TID would help finance infrastructure and remediation efforts in the long term.

Nathan identified potential components of the proposed TID: extending north to include parts of the old mill area, a property on Dewey Street with aging storage units, the former candy-factory parcel and the EPA-designated site the village acquired to conduct cleanup after an oil spill. He said this TID would be a longer-term financing vehicle, distinct from TIDs created to support downtown Main Street reconstruction, and could contribute to future road projects and brownfield remediation.

Trustees asked whether the proposed TID would qualify as a blight district. Nathan said it would not qualify unless more than half the acreage met the blight definition and noted statutory limits on how much acreage may be allocated to new residential use in TID financing. He also explained the village is watching proposed state changes to TID rules and noted potential Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation incentives for brownfield redevelopment.

A trustee moved to accept the Ehlers contract in the amount of $18,000; the motion was seconded and carried on roll call.

Why it matters: TID creation is a strategic financing decision that can enable infrastructure investment and brownfield cleanup, shaping the pace and nature of future development in the village. The board authorized consultant work that will produce legal and financial analyses required to form TID 7.