SLINGER, Wis. — The co-owner of Little Switzerland Ski Area in Slinger said a proposed 75% water bill increase will impact his business but is not something that will stop operations at one of the area's biggest water consumers.
Mike Schmitz, who co-owns the ski area, said his business relies on millions of gallons of water to make snow and buys water in bulk from the village when its private reservoirs run out.
WATCH: Little Switzerland co-owner talks about Slinger's proposed 75% increased water bill
"Obviously, we're one of the bigger customers, so we are affected as much as anybody," Schmitz said. "It's not something we're excited about, but it's something we understand and are willing to participate in."
Despite the significant potential cost increase, Schmitz said he understands why the village needs to act.
The Public Service Commission held a hearing after the Village of Slinger announced it would need to increase water bills by 75% to cover the costs of maintaining and updating the community's utility infrastructure. The village said the PSC has not yet made a final determination on the percentage of the increase. If approved, the earliest the increase could appear on bills is May.
Schmitz said the full financial impact on his business remains unclear but that rising costs are a reality he has learned to manage.
"At the end of the day, I don't know the bottom line of how it's going to totally affect us," he said. "It's something that's part of life, business, and I do fully support the village and what they need to do to get us water."
He said rising costs across the board are an ongoing challenge for the ski area but not one that threatens its future.
"Costs never go down," Schmitz said. "It costs more to build, put lifts in, more to employ people, and it costs more to get water—but that's part of life, reality, and a part of business. It's not something that scares us."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
