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Planning

Madison-McFarland Intergovernmental Agreement

The City of Madison and the Village of McFarland are exploring a possible Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). The goal is to help plan for future growth and to address issues of mutual concern surrounding our shared border.

No decisions have been made. The ideas shared so far are preliminary, and both communities are gathering public feedback before deciding whether to move forward with drafting a formal agreement.

If both communities choose to proceed, drafting and additional public input opportunities would likely continue through 2026 before any final approval.

Residents are encouraged to review materials and share feedback.

January 28 Meeting Follow-up

At the January 28 Public Information Meeting, residents asked important questions. Some required additional research. City staff followed-up with other agencies to provide more accurate answers to those questions.

A document with those questions and responses is now available. 

January 28 Meeting: Questions and Answers

  • What Is Being Considered?

    The City of Madison and the Village of McFarland share a border. Both communities are considering whether to enter into a new Intergovernmental Agreement to:

    • Clarify boundaries

    • Plan for future growth

    • Coordinate development

    • Provide predictable long-term planning

    A previous agreement between Madison and McFarland expired in 2018. 

  • Related Agreements

    The City of Madison currently has agreements with:

    When the Town of Blooming Grove agreement ends in 2027, any remaining properties not yet annexed will become part of the City of Madison under the terms of that agreement.

  • Public Feedback

    City of Madison and Village of McFarland staff began preliminary discussions to:

    • Share information
    • Develop early concepts
    • Identify areas of mutual concern

    These are preliminary ideas only. No agreement has been drafted or approved.

    Joint public information meetings were held with groups and impacted residents to gather feedback before any decision is made about drafting a formal agreement.

    Summary of Public Feedback (Public Information Meetings 1–4)

     

  • Next Steps

    After reviewing public input, both communities will decide whether to move forward with drafting a formal agreement.

    If both choose to proceed:

    • Drafting and revisions would likely continue through 2026
    • Additional public meetings would be held
    • Final approval would require formal action by both governing bodies

    Community input will continue to be part of the process. This webpage will be used to post information regarding the project as it becomes available.

  • Staying Informed and Being Involved

    This webpage will be used to post information regarding the project as it becomes available. Sign up to receive emails.

    Residents of impacted communities are welcome to contact staff at the City of Madison (Jeff Greger, Planner, jgreger@cityofmadison.com, 608-243-0181) or McFarland's Village Administrator or Community & Economic Development Director with questions.

Meeting Materials and Recordings

Below are links to meeting agenda packets and recordings from past meetings related to this project.

Project Resources

Below are links to draft documents related to this project.

Below are links to general information provided by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (WDOA) regarding intergovernmental agreements and cooperative boundary agreements. Both types of agreements are regulated by the WDOA in accordance with state law. The WDOA also provides information on annexation procedures and requirements, which is also regulated by the WDOA in accordance with state law.


 

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