Waukesha - Waukesha County Board Supervisor Robert Hutton made little headway Wednesday on his goal to reduce the proposed $97.5 million county tax levy by $1.2 million.
In a meeting of the Finance Committee, which finished work Wednesday on it 2011 county budget recommendation, the panel made a $125,000 reduction in the tax levy and $125,000 cut in fund balance designated for next year's capital projects. The move reflects last week's 14-8 vote by the County Board to kill a $250,000 consultant's study on future replacement or renovation of the courthouse.
Hutton had proposed taking all the study money from tax levy, along with other tax levy earmarked for Nashotah and Menomonee Parks restroom renovations and a new health and human services building - projects the County Board earlier refused to remove from the five-year capital projects plan.
"When the County Board voted a certain way, we respected that vote," said Finance Committee Chairman Patricia Haukohl of Brookfield.
Hutton, of Sussex, also attempted to eliminate funding for two vacant but funded clerk-typist positions and proposed applying $300,000 in general surplus funds toward offsetting a share of the proposed tax levy.
The County Board is scheduled to adopt the 2011 budget at 9 a.m. Tuesday
Hutton has indicated he will take his case for some of the tax levy cuts - namely the parks restrooms and the use of fund balance to offset some tax levy -- to the full board despite the Finance Committee's recommendation to the contrary.
Other than the courthouse study reduction, the only other significant Finance Committee change to the county executive's proposed budget was the addition of federal grant funds to expand the county's alcohol treatment court, which does not change the tax levy. The county has received a $1.2 million, three-year grant for that purpose.
Haukohl said the budget review has gone smoothly because County Executive Dan Vrakas includes committee chairmen in his budget development. If there are concerns or questions up front, she said, "he really does listen. I think we have a very good working relationship between the executive and the County Board."
Vrakas' proposed $267.8 million budget and $97 million tax levy are both about 2% higher than last year. The owner of a home of median value - $260,700 - would pay about $514 in county taxes, or 1.2% more than a year ago, county officials estimate.
The proposed county tax rate of $1.97 per $1,000 equalized value represents a 5.6% increase, but declining property values mean typical property owners will see a smaller jump.