By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
The City of Whitewater’s 2017 operating budget is expected to shrink, though officials are looking to increase property taxes to fund all of the programs and services that have been staples in the community.
As a prelude to an in-depth dive into the budget, City Manager Cameron Clapper unveiled his draft version of the document at a Common Council meeting Oct. 4. Clapper and the council will get into the heavy lifting of the budget’s various components in the weeks ahead.
Clapper’s plan calls for a $575,660, or 5.89 percent, decrease in the city’s operating budget. The 2016 budget clocked in at $9.77 million; next year’s budget is expected to come in at $9.20 million.
In its draft state, Clapper said he is presenting a balanced budget, meaning the anticipated expenses are in line with projected income. Amid challenges, Clapper said there are no plans to dip into reserve money set aside in the fund balance.
“We want to protect, as much as possible, a healthy fund balance,” Clapper said, noting how integral it is to the city’s general operating plan.
Tentatively, the city is considering a 6.48 percent property tax increase for next year’s budget. The 2016 levy was $3.14 million, while the proposed 2017 levy stands at $3.34 million.
How the levy increase plays out could depend upon where residents live within the city.
Pending assessment data, due from the state on Oct. 24, will determine property valuations for next year.
Tentatively, city officials anticipate the portion of the city within Walworth County notching a tax rate of $6.08 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from this year’s tax rate of $5.69 per $1,000 of assessed value.
For city residents within Jefferson County, the picture is somewhat different. The anticipated tax rate is $6.14 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from the current rate of $5.61 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The city is not planning to trim any of its programs or services, Clapper said, although there are a few behind-the-scenes changes that will impact how Whitewater’s budget is laid out.
Beginning in 2017, the operating budget will include dedicated funds for fire and rescue services and the Whitewater Aquatic Center.
The local fire and rescue agency has been spun off as a nonprofit organization. The city is contracting with the organization to fulfill its requirement of providing residents with fire and emergency medical services protection.
The WAC, meanwhile, is now under the auspices of the city’s parks and recreation department and no longer operates as an independent entity.
Another notable element of this year’s budget comes in the way of salaries and benefits. The city undertook a wage study in 2014 and 2015, and the results of that review could begin cropping up next year.
“We’ve been evaluating ways of tying (the wage increases) into this budget,” Clapper said. “We value our employees greatly. It’s an expense worth having.”
Details of the city’s budget are online at www.whitewater-wi.gov. The city is planning a budget hearing Nov. 15 in advance of the council’s official adoption of the document.
