Senator Howard Marklein was awarded the 2023-24 Friend of the Towns Award at the Green County Unit
Meeting of the Wisconsin Towns Association (WTA) for his efforts supporting town interests.
“Senator Marklein continues to be a phenomenal advocate for towns and rural Wisconsin,” said Jerry Derr, President of the Wisconsin Towns Association. “His ability to bring groups together in search of common goals has directly led to the new investment in towns that we’ve seen this past session.”
Senator Marklein played a pivotal role in several major town initiatives this session. These included a continuation of the Local Road Improvement Supplemental that Sen. Marklein originally helped devise in the 2019 state budget. He also authored the new Agricultural Road Improvement Program (ARIP) which provided $150 million for critical local agricultural routes. ARIP created a mechanism for local governments and agricultural producers to collaborate and modernize the local roads that serve as a backbone to one of our state’s most important industries.
Friends of town government share a core belief that the best decisions occur in a decentralized system and closest to the people. They understand that local government leadership is the fuel for inventive solutions to public sector challenges and the key to unlocking the power of democracy.
This marks Senator Marklein’s fourth consecutive Friend of the Towns Award, a first for the Wisconsin Towns Association. WTA Executive Director Mike Koles commented, “Senator Marklein is a tremendous
leader and advocate for rural Wisconsin. His steadfast devotion to his constituents and their unique issues has kept towns and rural Wisconsin on the map in Madison.”
