MADISON, Wis. — It’s been in the works for decades, but now it’s official: The Town of Madison is no more.
The Town of Madison was founded in 1846. The City of Madison was formed in 1859, slowly annexing land from the Town as it grew — so much so that beginning Monday, the Town of Madison has officially been absorbed by the City of Madison and Fitchburg.
With hundreds of address changes right before the midterm elections, how does impact voting?
“A big number of residents voted at the town hall facility, and that’s not a polling place anymore, so I would suggest that every single resident from the Town checks the website,” said Angela Puerta, the City Planner for the City of Madison.
With more land and more people, taxes and emergency services are severely impacted as well.
“City inspection, the fire department, (and) EMS have taken over in the former town of Madison since November 2020, so those services have been provided two years ago. The police department started to provide service a week ago,” Puerta said. “We know that most likely that taxes will increase (for people who lived in the Town of Madison) mainly because the services that the City of Madison provides are more robust and comprehensive compared to the town”
As a result of the annexation, the City of Madison will also become much more diverse.
“About 27% of the Town of Madison residents are Latinx or Hispanic compared to the City, which is about 8%. African-Americans make up 13% of the Town of Madison population,” Puerta said.
The City of Madison is absorbing 90% of the remaining Town of Madison land and 79% of the population. The rest of the Town is being attached to the City of Fitchburg, including a little more than 6,000 people and representing a population significantly more diverse than the City of Madison.
The City of Madison’s website provides all residents with an online tool to find their polling place. New city residents will also have new representation from city alders.
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