Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Districts are special-purpose government units governed by Wisconsin Statutes. The boundaries of a Lake District typically include the property of all lakefront owners, but can include nearby property as well.  

Within a Lake District, all property owners share the cost of management activities undertaken by the District. A Lake District can levy taxes of up to $2.50 per $1000 of assessed property value per year (e.g. $1500 on a $600,000 property). A Lake District can also levy “special charges” as part of a resident’s tax bill; these are capped at a mill rate¹ of $2.50 and thus the potential yearly tax burden on a $600,000 property could be as much as $3000.00 with the additional possibility of a special assessment. 

The Wisconsin State Legislature has given Lake Districts a broad range of financial and administrative powers to undertake lake management programs.

You can also check out Wisconsin's handbook here about Lake Districts if you're interested in the details. The ability of a Lake District to make special assessments is described on page 60. The mill rate cap is listed on pages 72 and 76.

Forming a Lake District would be a long and costly process. If a petition to create the district reaches the required 51% threshold, there are several additional steps to take to get the state to create it. In total, this process could cost an estimated $25,000.

In June 2020, the MLAA explored the idea of forming a special tax district and determined it was too cumbersome and expensive. Since 2020, this process has only become more costly. Check out the MLAA minutes here or on their website. This was addressed under Item 3(f).

The easiest and cheapest option is to wait for next year! Water levels have been high in 2024, but fluctuate significantly year-to-year. In 2023, the lake was well below the designated "high water" level.

For folks looking for a more active intervention, there are many options, and we'd love to hear your ideas! The Army Corps of Engineers has used relatively cheap pumping systems to clear hurricane floods, and a similar setup could be implemented for Moose Lake. If you have a suggestion or idea, make your voice heard! The MLAA regularly discusses this topic during their meetings, and we'd love to hear from you in the "Contact" form.

You may also have heard about a proposal to build a drain pipe between Moose Lake and Okauchee Lake. Based on the MLAA's exploratory work, this is an extremely resource-intensive proposal, with estimated costs of around $550,000 total, as well as years of studies and construction work.

A drain pipe between Moose Lake and Okauchee Lake is expensive and uncertain. Based on the MLAA's exploratory work, this would cost (minimum) $40,000-$50,000 for engineering studies and $500,000 to construct. However, a Lake District around Moose Lake does not have authority over properties in Okauchee's Lake District. The negotiations, proposals, and other government bureaucracy associated with a project like this will take years and may ultimately not be possible while respecting individuals' private property. Overall, there is not a yes or no answer to this question, only a guarantee of higher taxes from a Moose Lake District to fund the effort.

• The Town of Merton

• The County of Waukesha

• Waukesha Technical College

• Stone Bank Elementary School

• Arrowhead Union High School 

• Fire Department Services

• Garbage and Recycling

• Special Assessments 

No. The structure of a Lake District would be different than that of the MLAA -- in its place, a five-member Lake District Board has two officers appointed by Waukesha and Merton (the other three are elected). Other than an annual meeting to approve the budget and elect three officers, there is no requirement to ask approval of any District members about decisions.

Before the Lake District is created, residents must demonstrate that they are even interested in doing so. A petition would need to propose boundaries for the District and then be signed by at least 51% of the land owners within those boundaries. At the very least, these boundaries would include all lakefront properties on Moose Lake, but would likely include nearby properties as well.