Correction: The board approved a $14.5 million budget and $9.2 million tax levy.
The Greendale Board of Trustees approved a final $14.5 million budget with a tax levy increase of 1.2 percent ($9.2 million tax levy), while also using almost $350,000 of the fund balance.
The board approved the budget 4-1 with Trustee Carl Genz voting against it. Trustees Jim Birmingham and Allen Sikorski were not present at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Genz wanted to get the tax levy increase to zero. He proposed eliminating $70,000 from the road repair budget and using $15,000 for road repairs instead of reconstruction. He also proposed cutting $35,000 from the IT fund and $10,000 out of the tree-planting fund.
The other Trustees disagreed and thought the money was needed to continue providing quality core services.
Since the year 2002 the village’s tax levy has increased an average of 1.6%. The village will also collect additional property tax revenue from its three tax incremental financing districts that include Southridge Mall, Boston Store and Berkshire Greendale Senior Living. Money collected from TIF districts does not go to support general village operations, but instead pays down debt the village took on in creating the districts.
The village also received more than budgeted revenue, primarily due Southridge Mall building permit revenue.
The Greendale School District decreased its tax levy. County of Milwaukee,Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District have all increased their tax levy from 4 percent to 6 percent, said Michaels.
Budget Impact on Homeowners
Village Manager Todd Michaels said homeowners' tax bills are expected to go up less than 1 percent, with the 2013 budget costing the average homeowner $21.81 more than last year. He also said at the meeting that about 190 property owners will actually see a decrease.
Including the revisions in taxes and fees, the 2013 Budget projects the total tax bill for a home assessed at $201,373 to be $1,676.59. This is a $13.40 (0.81 percent) increase for the same home last year. The budget represents a monthly cost of $139.72/month to cover all village service costs other than water and sewer utilities.
The budget also calls for passing onto homeowners the cost of residential curbside recycling at $31.08 a year. The village expects recycling costs to stay the same or decrease under changes to the recycling program being considered.
The Greendale School District decreased its tax levy.
Manager Michaels said when you take into account all the taxing bodies the bills will go down overall.
Savings for rainy day
The 2013 budget utilizes $349,677 from the fund balance to help pay for unexpected expenses as well as reduce some surplus funding.
In comparison, the village anticipated using $348,822 in fund balance in 2012, yet officials now believe they will use far less, only $31,000. This decrease is primarily due to a delay in hiring new staff implemented during 2012.
It’s estimated the year-end 2013 fund balance as budgeted would be $4.1 million.
Budget Impact on Employees
In 2011 most village employees did receive a wage increase. This year’s budget includes 1 percent inflationary increases in wages and 12 percent health insurance co-pay for village employees.
According to Michaels' memo, if the wage and benefit goals are not reached through collective bargaining, the village will likely have to consider other options during 2013 including a hiring freeze, furloughs or other cost saving measures.
The budget also includes $20,000 in additional funding for training department heads in efficiency and cost saving methods. The management training guarantees savings greater than the cost of the program, according to the Michaels memo.
Check out previous years' tax levies:
Year Levy %Inc 2002 7,921,390 2003 7,921,390 0% 2004 8,153,486 2.93% 2005 8,316,555 2% 20068,482,886
2% 20078,652,542
2% 2008 8,825,592 2% 2009 9,002,500 2% 2010 9,125,543 1,37% 2011 9,100,543 -0.27% 2012 9,209,750 1.20%
Also, home values will remain the same, as will the assessment ratio (so I was told.)
I wonder which trustee(s) will receive a kickback from John's when they hand them that coveted contract and layoff long-time village employees??? Whenever I go to the Dept. of Public Works to unload my debris, there is ALWAYS someone there to help me, no matter how large, small or dirty my trash is - and I'm an able-bodied young dude... I have seen these guys tell elderly residents to stay in their car while our village Public Works employees unload the residents' entire trunk for them - Hope we don't lose the friendly ones just because residents like Carl Genz don't want to chip in for services we all need.
The Board understands the value of having the Greendale DPW available to call with questions/complaints, rather than calling an anonymous person in some other city.
If there's always someone there to help those who do not need the help, perhaps there is an excess of resources... Why don't you seem to give your ELECTED trustees the same 'professional respect' that you demand that everyone to give to the ELECTED school board members?
I don't know about you, but I would prefer studies done to show which is more harmful, underground pipelines to convey poop water, or sending it down the Root River. Sanfellippo sat on the Milwaukee County Parks Board when this was introduced, but said nothing against it and Root River PKWY is well, a park....thus his phone # for concerned residents (262-373-9240) but since he is now an elected member of the State Assembly (15th district) and will no longer represent me in any manner (thank God) people can still call him and tell him, "Good riddance." Are you related to Mr. Sanfellippo, Mr. "Cow Poop" or just someone who likes poop?"
Could it be considered slander or libel to make the uninformed and baseless charge that Waukesha's WWTP fails to properly treat wastewater and there is reason to believe that they will be releasing 'poop filled water' into the Root River?
I don't have a beef about the services provided by our DPW. But I think you need to get real and consider the high property tax burden we already face in Greendale compared to other parts of the state and country. Any responsible government official needs to look at all of the options to reduce cost While still providing quality services. That would include privatizing garbage collection, village maintenance, fire department efficiencies, etc... I know this runs counter to what has been spoon fed to you from your communist Professor's, but it is an economic reality today. By the way, the people who work for Veolia are nice people too and might even live in Greendale!
If you have such a fecal fetish, why not annex some of your property to Waukesha to use as a vehicle for its "treated wastewater?"
The study is being done because of increased flow volumes, not because there's going to be poop in the water. Jason--Please educate yourself and schedule a tour of the Waukesha WWTP. It really is a nice facility. Their effluent has to meet environmental guidelines for water quality. It is constantly tested and monitored and they will get fined (and shut down) if they are putting poop in the river.
Or like I said before, you can always annex some of your property so it flows through your back yard. But when your kids hit the wiffle ball into the stream I would probably not retrieve it... ... And why Sanfellippo? Because he was my County Supervisor who sat on the Board of Parks.
Waukesha doesn't have the same situation as Milwaukee and its flawed combined sewer system. Increased rainfalls aren't going to cause the same problems that we see with MMSD and the deep tunnel. There is no reason to believe that raw sewage will be released into the Root River because of this water deal.