Levy approved with 1.5 percent increase

By Dave Fidlin

Correspondent

After months of discussion, Whitewater officials have minted the city’s 2016 operating budget, which reflects in a 1.5-percent increase in the property tax levy and a 3.12-percent increase in the overall operating budget.

Compared to prior years — when the city’s participation in Janesville’s Innovation Express mass transit line was a point of contention — this year’s budget-building process has been rather tranquil.

Few residents have felt compelled to weigh in on the 2016 budget, which leaves all major municipal services in tact. This point, perhaps, is best represented by the fact no one spoke for or against the budget when the Common Council held a formal public hearing before acting on the budget Nov. 17.

Early this fall, City Manager Cameron Clapper unveiled the city’s budget plan, which clocks in at $9.77 million — an uptick from the 2015 budget of $9.47 million. The levy falls in line with the state-mandated revenue caps, Clapper said.

As a community straddling two counties, the mill rate picture varies throughout the city’s borders. For residents living within Walworth County, the rate has been set at $5.69 per $1,000 of assessed value. The mill rate in Jefferson County has been set at $5.61 per $1,000 of assessed value. The figure represents a decrease from last year’s mill rate.

Finance Director Doug Saubert said the mill rate figures remain tentative as the city awaits one last piece of information before tax bills are sent out next month. The state has yet to announce the amount of this year’s state school tax credit.

The council’s stamp of approval on the 2016 budget was made by way of adopting a resolution that gave a snapshot into the nuts-and-bolts of next year’s operations plan. Details within the resolution include a break down of how the expenses and revenues will be allocated and a glimpse into the specific utility budgets and tax-incremental finance (TIF) districts.

As is the case with most municipalities, the entity receiving the largest allocation of expenses is public safety. Of the $9.77 million in expenses, $4.05 million will fund operations within the police department.

The breakdown, elsewhere, includes $1.57 million toward general government operations and $1.19 million to help fund the city’s various culture and recreation programs.

Entities receiving less than $1 million in funding include public works ($998,368), debt service from previous borrowing ($597,725), solid waste and recycling ($396,070) and conservation and development activities ($282,121).

The city’s projected revenues and expenses are balanced in 2016. Property taxes, totaling $3.14 million, make up about a third of the anticipated income. Other revenue sources include state aid and funding for being a host community to a state university.

The budget for the various utilities has been set as follows: wastewater ($15.83 million), water ($2.53 million) and stormwater ($1.33 million).

The amount of money funneled to the city’s six active TIF districts totals $1.73 million.

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