WI Trail Funding Poll

[jr37]

blu2u2, how did the weekend go? I had to work Saturday, couldn't make it this year. Any new info., or is it still the "Good ol Boys" club rules. I really think we need young blood in charge, but who will step up? Hope you had a good weekend. Wish I could have been there.

[blu2u2]

jr37, I sent you a PM on this. Nothing new to report on the CAP/STEP. The leadership wants to hold off until Jan. and then make a decision on what path the AWSC will take. This was my last Directors Meeting as a Director as I have too much on my plate right now. I will still be involved as the County Rep. However, if things continue the way they have been going the last 2-3 years; I am not sure how long I will be involved with the AWSC....

[polarismike]

If the Cap/Step hasn't passed the last couple trys, what makes anyone think it will a third time? What has been holding it up?

[cruiser trailboss]

The boys and girls in Madison wont let us raise the the Wisconsin resident stickers. We may be able to get a raise in the non-resident sticker. After all Minnesota gets $45 for there pass. But the real money is in the gas tax. It is based on a sled using 50 gal of gas per year. That sales tax brings in over 4 million into the snowmobile fund. Get that changed to 100 gal.per sled. and our funding is in much better shape. We could raise the maintence from $250 to $300 to help out the southern clubs. And raise the $750 cap to $1000 to help out the northern clubs. And if the DOT doesnt want to gives us more of our tax money tell them to stop giving grants to user groops that dont pay any gas tax.

[blu2u2]

This is what I stated at the Directors Meeting at the Spring Convention this year....

The following is the opinion of both the Outagamie County Snowmobile Alliance and myself.
The CAP/STEP Program sounds wonderful on paper as it would bring in much needed funds and increase club memberships. However, what looks good on paper doesn’t always work in reality. Last fall at the workshop I stood up and played “devil’s advocate”. I was and still am on the fence with the program. I agree with the United We Trail Divided We Fail Slogan. However, clubs can’t continue to operate if they are losing money every year. The current system is broken! When will the AWSC take off their blinders and see that until the majority of the snowmobilers in WI join a club; the CAP/STEP Program will likely continue to FAIL! Politicians tend to listen to their constituents. How many times does one hit a brick wall before they realize that they need to change their course?
The Executive Director asked what are we going to do about our image/membership…shouldn’t the AWSC be more concerned with how can the clubs survive operating in the RED!
The Outagamie County Alliance asked that the AWSC look into doubling the registration fees for all to pay. How can the non-club members complain that they are being treated unfairly if everyone has to pay more? Hasn’t the price of just about everything increased since the last time the snowmobile registration in WI was increased???Compared to our neighbors in MI and MN; WI is a very inexpensive state to snowmobile in! Paying $30 per year to snowmobile in the GREATEST SNOWMOBILEING STATE in the United States is a bargain!

[rocky367]

Well said! Exactly my feelings and great to hear that you stood up and said what you did, unfortunately the AWSC won't listen I feel.

[renegade]

The CAP/STEP program basically screws people like me that work nights, I can never go to club meetings and I'm not going to take a vacation day for a 1 hour meeting. And since most of the clubs around here charge you an inactive club member "surcharge" (because I can't make the meetings), I'm not going to join a club. I have been a club member before when I worked days, and it was good and beneficial, but times have changed. This program forces me to pay a penalty because of reasons I can't control? What BS!

But I would go with raise the registration a little, and require out of staters to buy a trail pass for the year, like everyone else does.

This sounds a little bs to me. Not trying to pick on you, but our club has swing shift workers, over the road truck drivers, plumbers who work crazy hours, etc. Sure they can't always come to the meetings, but that doesn't mean they can't be active. I doubt your local club is marking or brushing at night. No reason someone can't find the time to work a saturday or sunday on the trails in the fall or the spring. Doing work for a snowmobile club is no differant than getting your sled ready to ride or summerizing it in the spring. It used to be just a part of owning a snowmobile. That is what is lost in all of this. I do think it is BS that a club would charge a surcharge for a inactive member, but I also think its BS if you are not at the meeting you can't get a text, email, or a call where to meet on a saturday to mark a trail.

[rocky367]

I've done the texting, postcards, emails and phone calls to get people out and it is my opinion that after all that and they still don't show up to meetings or help with trailwork then they just don't want to help the club. Those are the folks that will just increase from people being dragged into a club, I think if someone snowmobiles chances are they know about clubs so there is no excuse to not join we just don't need to force them to join we as a group need better ways to bring people into our clubs.
Funding is the big issue, not bringing more people into clubs, I think once trails start closing or not open due to lack of people to work that things for clubs will change. However, we need to get funding to support the trail operations and how we do that is the key.

[Hoosier]

I live near Indianapolis and primarily ride out of Vilas County (from a relative's place North of Eagle River). I register my sled in Wisconsin since I never ride it in Indiana. The cost to ride in Wisconsin seems very cheap to me for how well the trails are maintained in that general area. I don't know what the answer is because riding in Southern Wisconsin is going to be much different than Northern Wisconsin, and it might be difficult to get much of an increase out of Southern Wisconsin riders. Perhaps a solution is to offer two different Wisconsin permits - one for the more Southern Counties only and one for the entire state. I always thought Michigan should do this as well, but they obviously have more of a natural split. For example they could charge $25 for the lower peninsula only or $45 for the whole state.

[renegade]

Exactly! People either want to or don't want to. Cap/Step would of funded the snowmobile program and rewarded people who do the work, not penalize the people who don't want to, but the majority don't see it that way. I do care what the bill is called, we need more money, cap/step would of done this and at the same time maybe bring people to into clubs to work a little, but sure doesn't penalize anyone.

[blu2u2]

With Hay Days less than 2 weeks away... I thought now might be a good time to refresh this thread. Thanks to everyone who has voted on this!

[blu2u2]

I am begining to think that I am "beating a dead horse" here... Either this poll is in the wrong location or maybe only 65 viewers/voters have strong feelings for this topic. I understand that most clubs didn't run short on funding last season due to the poor winter snowfall amounts in WI. Maybe if the state sees another year like we had 2-3 years ago when the entire state had good snow this topic would be more popular???

[jr37]

David,
I think trying the CAP/STEP again is beating a dead horse. We've been trying this for what, about 8/9 years now. I think the idea is great, but enough already. Maybe the 2 guys pushing this plan in the AWSC need to be replaced.

This is far fetched, but. What is if we registered sleds like we register our vehicles. I pay more for my big truck than I do for my van or car. Maybe a 1100 cc sled should pay more than a 800 cc sled, and a 800 cc sled should pay more than a 600 cc sled, and a 600 cc sled should pay more than the rest of the smaller sleds. It would be similar to vehicle registration. Like I said, far fetched.

[nytro_rtx]

I think Wi. is loosing alot of $$ because they let people that live out of state register thier sleds as a resident so they don't need the trail pass, unless that has changed recently. If your primary residence isn't in Wi. you sure shouldn't be able to register your sled as a resident, even if you have a vacation home or whatever there your still not a resident. Again, maybe this has changed and they don't let you get away with it anymore but if so they are loosing atot of $$$ because of it. I know of many people that do this and save $$ but are screwing the trail systems they love to ride!! This is a big loophole that needs to be fixed IMO.
Nytro

[Banjo Man]

I live in Illinois, register in Wisconsin and buy Michigan trail stickers for all my sleds whether I ride there or not. I also pay sales tax to Wisconsin for any sled purchased that is registered there as many other folks also do. I don't believe that is "screwing the system"

[whitedust]

Yep WI happy to take your sled tax money nooooooo problem..lol

[nytro_rtx]

Whats the price diference between buying a resident registration and how long they last for and the cost of buying a non-resident trail pass? Do residents still have to have a trail pass also like Michigan?




I have never rode my sleds in Il. but I still register them here, also buy Mich.(both sleds) & Wi. trail pass(on my trail sled) every year and proly haven't put on 100 miles in Wi. over the last 2 yrs, but still buy in case I do. Sorry but I do think thats screwing the system if you're not a resident in Wi. and register it that way no matter where you pay the tax and why would you not pay the Il. sales tax and register it where you live?

I live in Illinois, register in Wisconsin and buy Michigan trail stickers for all my sleds whether I ride there or not. I also pay sales tax to Wisconsin for any sled purchased that is registered there as many other folks also do. I don't believe that is "screwing the system"

[Banjo Man]

I keep my sleds in Wisconsin year round and they never even see Illinois so that is why I register in
Wisconsin. Since I do my majority of riding there it makes sense to me to pay for the registration
Stickers and the sales tax on the sleds.
At 5% state and 1/2% county tax on each sled is considerable more revenue for the state I ride in than if I were to purchase a trail pass. Do the math.

[nytro_rtx]

Also saves atleast 1% sales tax for ya too.

I never ride mine in Il. either and don't know if I can do a resident reg. in Mi. even tho I own a house there, but wouldn't realy matter for me because you have to get a trail pass in Mi. anyway.

How much is the Wi. reg. vrs. the trail pass? How long is the reg. good for(3yrs?), he!! if saves that much $$ maybe I'll do the same thing!!!

[Banjo Man]

Also saves atleast 1% sales tax for ya too.

I never ride mine in Il. either and don't know if I can do a resident reg. in Mi. even tho I own a house there, but wouldn't realy matter for me because you have to get a trail pass in Mi. anyway.

How much is the Wi. reg. vrs. the trail pass? How long is the reg. good for(3yrs?), he!! if saves

that much $$ maybe I'll do the same thing!!!

Sounds like we are starting to agree lol.

[blu2u2]

The non-resident trail pass is $35 and good for only 1 season. The WI reg is $30 and good for 2 seasons. The $30 is the only fee that has to be paid to ride in WI if the sled is reg. in WI. The $15/year is a BARGAIN vs. MI and MN rates.

Thanks for the 9 more votes since I last posted. I appreciate everyone who voted or shared their views on this topic!

[nytro_rtx]

Banjo, Yes we are!! lol If you ever get up to the W-UP or close to the border let me know and we'll hook up for a ride!!

Sounds like we are starting to agree lol.

blu, Thanks for the info., that is a bargain and I might change the way I register my sled. But how do I register in Wi. without a street addy there to register to?

The non-resident trail pass is $35 and good for only 1 season. The WI reg is $30 and good for 2 seasons. The $30 is the only fee that has to be paid to ride in WI if the sled is reg. in WI. The $15/year is a BARGAIN vs. MI and MN rates.

Thanks for the 9 more votes since I last posted. I appreciate everyone who voted or shared their views on this topic!

[snowfreak56]

Banjo, Yes we are!! lol If you ever get up to the W-UP or close to the border let me know and we'll hook up for a ride!!



blu, Thanks for the info., that is a bargain and I might change the way I register my sled. But how do I register in Wi. without a street addy there to register to?

You can register it by going to the DNR website if you wish,,and no Wis adress needed.And my understanding is that more of the money from registration goes to where it needs to be and more of the money from out of state trail permits goes to the general fund so in turn it is a win win situation all the way around to register them rather than buy the trail permit.

[snoduke88]

I live in Il and register my sleds in Wis, Il,and Ia. I bought one sled in Wis so I payed sale tax on it. I support a club in Wis, one in Il and one in Ia.
When I get up to Wis. I put at least $100 in trail pig. We stay for two weeks so I think I save at least that much in gas. Money in trail pigs goes right to club not thru state!!!

[nytro_rtx]

Thanks for the info snowfreak!!! Looks like I will get Wi. reg. as soon as my current reg. expires!!!

You can register it by going to the DNR website if you wish,,and no Wis adress needed.And my understanding is that more of the money from registration goes to where it needs to be and more of the money from out of state trail permits goes to the general fund so in turn it is a win win situation all the way around to register them rather than buy the trail permit.