Sussex Welcome Signs Approved Despite Negative Public Comment

The new stone entrance monuments reading “Welcome to the Village of Sussex” were officially approved by the Village Board during Tuesday night’s meeting.

The first monument is to be constructed on Highway 74 near , while the second will be constructed near quarry, also on Hwy 74.

The two signs, which total roughly $52,000, became a topic of discussion between the board members  after Quad/Graphics donated $36,000 to the cause. However, after obtaining cost estimates from local companies like Halquist Stone, village officials quickly realized they would need to find additional funding from taxpayers.

And while the village is subsidizing less than half of the total cost of the signs, some Sussex residents aren’t happy with what they consider a useless purchase.

“More unnecessary spending by the Village?” asked reader in . “There’s little to no value in these signs, especially in these trying economic times. Does the Village really feel that this is the best way to spend our hard earned tax dollars? I surely don’t. I can think of a thousand ‘necessary’ things the Village could spend this money on, but this isn’t even on the list.”

However, members on the Village Board disagree. The current wood signs were considered to be an eyesore by some Sussex officials, and with such a generous donation from Quad for this specific project, the board believes this to be an investment in the community.

“A great deal of the money was donated by Quad/Graphics,” Village President Greg Goetz said. “And I think it’ll be a great addition to the village. It’s real nice looking, and it’s all stone which is great with Sussex being about stone. It’ll be great for the entrances and exits to the village.”

Approved mock-ups of the signs by Badger Lighting & Signs show the monuments to be 12 feet wide and 7 feet tall. Each side of the three-inch thick stone slab will have additional stone columns to resemble the sign at . They will also have a removable plaque recognizing Quad/Graphics' donation.