The Road To Sprawlville, Chapter XXXV: An Expensive Excursion Around Madison

As the City of Madison grows and grows, its residents are noticing how much of the annual budget goes into new roads and the funds needed to maintain them.

Sure, the city captures some tax base at the edges, and jobs accompanies that growth, but the city has to supply its new land mass with municipal services, and roads, along with police, fire, lights schools and sewers, are right there at the top.

That's not to say that there should be zero growth at the borders, but the more that growth can be focused where infrastructures is in place, the fewer new tax dollars have to be poured into road construction and repairs.