Waukesha — The Waukesha County Board made quick, dismissive work of a county supervisor's attempt to shave another penny off the county tax rate Tuesday, adopting instead a 2011 budget that was close to the one proposed by County Executive Dan Vrakas.
As adopted by the board 20-4, the budget calls for $268 million in spending next year, up 2.4%, and a tax levy of $97.4 million, up 1.8%. Vrakas' budget had proposed a 2.3% spending increase and a 1.9% tax levy increase.
The major change by the County Board on Tuesday was a $493,600 increase in spending and revenue funded with part of a recently announced three-year federal grant to expand the county's alcohol treatment court. A $125,000 cut in the tax levy reflects the board's earlier decision to kill, at least for next year, a consulting study of remodeling or replacing the courthouse.
Vrakas plans no vetoes, chief of staff Ellen Nowak said.
Supervisor Robert Hutton of Sussex led attempts to trim another $535,000 from the Finance Committee's recommended budget. They included delaying or eliminating restroom renovations at Nashotah and Menomonee parks, saving $110,000 in taxes and using general fund balance to reduce the levy.
All of his amendments were defeated by more than a two-thirds majority.
Vrakas' budget proposed a tax rate of $1.97 per $1,000 equalized value, or about $514 on a median-valued home of $260,700. The Finance Committee recommendation - ultimately approved by the County Board - shaves a quarter of a cent off the rate and $2 off that same median valued home's tax bill, which would be about $512 for county services.
Had all of Hutton's efforts succeeded, the rate would have dropped a penny more and cut the median home's tax bill to about $511 - or $3 less than Vrakas' proposal.
County officials estimate that because of declining home values, the median-valued home was worth more last year, so the impact of the final rate increase will be closer to 1%, or about $5 on that median-valued home.
County taxes are only a portion of the annual tax bills sent in November and December. Municipal and local and technical school taxes also are included.
Cooperation stressed
Finance Committee Chairwoman Patricia Haukohl of Brookfield stressed the cooperation among the executive, county managers and county supervisors in budget meetings where "there are no politics."
She said of the budget, "we're taking care of business every day. We are taking care of business in every way."
Hutton and others argued that in today's economic and political climate, more frugality was called for and some projects could be delayed.
Other supervisors argued that the budget offered needed services and projects and kept Waukesha County on a solid, steady financial footing.
The budget eliminates about 11 full-time positions, includes a net 1% pay increase for employees but requires them to contribute more to health care and retirement. No furloughs are included.
Vrakas has made a point of promoting his budget as a "low tax leader" with a five-year history of lower tax levy increases than Milwaukee County and the cities of Waukesha and Milwaukee. Meanwhile, he noted, Waukesha County is one of the few remaining counties in Wisconsin that has not adopted a local sales tax.
He said the budget provides Waukesha County residents and businesses with stability and good services at small tax increases.