Aside from putting together an overall land use plan, local decision making involves the review of all plans. After review, proposals are voted on and accepted or rejected. Often when a housing subdivision or commercial development is proposed, your community is asked to alter the land use plan by rezoning agricultural lands, or other lands currently zoned for a use other than the one being proposed. Your community participates in decisions about major transportation projects. The County Counties in Southeastern Wisconsin have a broad range of responsibilities with regard to land use and transportation.
County governments oversee the development and zoning decisions in unincorporated towns.
Most of this oversight occurs on a county board's zoning and land use subcommittee. This is a good place for the public to help prevent sprawl since many different communities and development proposals come under review by the same board. County officials must be urged to take a more critical view, because rezoning proposals often start a development domino effect that leads to sprawl. Kenosha County has a detailed plan for its eastern half and a plan for the rest of the county is in the works. Counties control county trunk highways and county transit services, including money for van systems that serve persons with disabilities.