By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
After a busy couple of months, entailing departmental meetings and line item-by-line item reviews, the City of Whitewater is entering 2014 with a balanced budget.
The Common Council last week voted, 6-0, in favor of the city’s $9.37 million budget. Slightly more than $3 million in property taxes will assist in funding city operations in the upcoming year.
The council last week also approved a trio of utility budgets, including $2.75 million toward the wastewater utility, $2.04 million toward the water utility and $772,725 toward the stormwater utility.
Whitewater’s overall municipal budget is set to increase by 1.77 percent in 2014 and includes the state’s revenue cap restrictions that are relegated only to new construction from the prior year.
The city’s debt levy, which falls outside the parameters of the state’s levy caps, reflects a 3.3-percent increase and totals $543,538 in 2014. City officials assert Whitewater is at 64 percent of its total debt limit, heading into 2014.
The debt levy is going toward borrowing for a number of capital improvement projects, including the oft-discussed East Gateway initiative that is planned in upcoming years.
Prior to adopting the entire municipal budget, the council heard reports on the city’s Community Development Authority (CDA) budget and a five-year snapshot of upcoming capital improvement projects.
The CDA is planning to increase its marketing budget by $10,000 to support a number of programs, including the half-marathon that takes place within the city.
City Manager Cameron Clapper outlined some of the upcoming capital improvement projects, including a new van for the city’s ride share taxi service, improvements at Starin Park and bike and pedestrian plan.
The city’s Bark Park also is slated to be relocated because of frequent flooding from a nearby wetland.
