Waupaca’s total assessed value grows by $9 million
By Angie Landsverk
City of Waupaca taxpayers would see the city tax rate drop by 10 cents under the proposed 2020 budget.
The city’s rate would be $7.92 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, a 1.25% percent decrease from the present rate.
A $6.8 million General Fund budget is proposed for 2020, down 3.5% from the city’s current budget.
The budget would be supported by a $3.3 million levy, $33,036 higher than this year’s $3.23 million levy.
“The main thing is the levy is going up, but because of the amount of value in the city for next year, the rate is going down. We’re in a good position again this year,” said Kathy Kasza, the city’s finance director and treasurer.
The common council reviewed the budget on Nov. 5.
A public hearing on the proposal is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19.
The council is expected to take action on the budget that evening.
“This year is a perfect example of how levy limits are supposed to work,” Kasza said.
A number of factors determine a municipality’s levy limit.
She said the main one is its percentage of net new construction.
New construction
The city had a 1.2% increase in net new construction in 2018, Kasza said.
That alone allows the city to raise its levy by about $25,000.
“We can raise the levy because we have more value to put that increase on,” she said. “That is the premise of why we have it.”
The city has $9 million worth of new value, bringing its new assessed value to $414 million, Kasza said.
“There’s been growth,” she said.
Kasza said the increase in the city’s assessed value is not always related to new physical buildings.
There have been many improvements to existing structures in the city, she said.
The city also collected more revenue than it spent each of the last three years.
It ended 2018 with a $324,874 surplus, resulting in an ending fund balance of $1.96 million.
She said the surplus had to do with a number of different things.
It included being conservative on revenue projections.
Approximately one-third – about $100,000 – was from building permits, she said.
Kasza expects the city to have about a $100,000 surplus at the end of this year.
New drug officer planned
That is why Mayor Brian Smith requested a full-time drug officer be added in 2020.
“I know one of the police department’s priorities is to get a drug officer,” he said. “I know this is an issue throughout the state and throughout the country and throughout the world.”
Police Chief Brian Hoelzel said the addition of the position would fit into the budget halfway through the year.
He anticipates promoting someone from within the department and then hiring a new patrol officer.
“We’re pulling some of the money to fund the position from some of the money left over last year and will phase it fundwise into 2021, when projects underway come on board,” Kasza said.
The city’s proposed 2020 budget also includes a second school resource officer, funded 75% by the Waupaca School District.
A full-time technology generalist and a part-time front desk assistant in the senior center are included in the budget as well.
Kasza said the technology generalist is a budgeted position, but filling it will be based on revenue.
City employees would receive a 3% cost of living increase as part of the budget.
The salaries for the mayor and alderpersons would also increase.
The budget proposal also includes the creation of a new Youth Program Fund to address area towns wanting to see more reporting and transparency.
The mayor described the budget as “business as usual.”
He said, “I think it’s important to understand that we’ve been able to add money to the fund balance. Department heads were able to come in under budget with overtime in the police department and extra snow removal. I don’t know if we can anticipate this forever, but it looks like a good trend for us.”