Waukesha County budget advances with no levy changes

Nov. 09, 2011

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By Laurel Walker of the Journal Sentinel

Nov. 09, 2011 0

Waukesha - The Waukesha County Finance Committee wrapped up its review of the 2012 county budget Wednesday, unanimously recommending a $98.5 million tax levy that is exactly as County Executive Dan Vrakas proposed six weeks ago.

Just two amendments to accept grants totaling $170,000 were made to Vrakas' budget - one to provide cancer education and screening for low-income and uninsured individuals, the other to establish a drug court. Both grants were confirmed after Vrakas' budget was introduced. Neither change added to the tax levy.

The sole controversy that flared during the budget review was Vrakas' plan to close the girls secure detention unit of the Juvenile Center and contract with Washington County for the service. Supervisor Janel Brandtjen's attempt to restore the program failed both in the Health and Human Services and Finance Committees.

The final budget calls for spending $244.7 million on operations, down 1.4% from this year; a capital projects list costing $39.9 million, double last year's total but with cash on hand of $10.4 million applied to keep tax support even with last year's; nontax revenues of $163.2 million, up 6%; and a general tax levy of $98.0 million, up 0.6%.

Taxpayers in communities without libraries will pay $2.9 million, or 1% more, toward the federated library system.

The recommended tax rate of $2.01 per $1,000 full market value is 4 cents higher, but with property values dropping, the rate could translate into no increase or even a drop in the county portion of the bill.

The County Board will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday to adopt the 2012 budget.

About Laurel Walker

Laurel Walker covered local, school and county government for 20 years -- the last half of that at the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- before she was named Waukesha County columnist in 1997. Today she writes about the people, places and events around metropolitan Milwaukee with a broad suburban focus. She was the youngest of nine children raised on a central Wisconsin farm before leaving the nest for journalism studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a masters degree at the University of Oregon. She has spent the last half of her life in Waukesha County, where she and her husband raised two sons. Though she has a fondness for life in Waukesha, she eagerly partakes in the culture of the big city to the east and the recreation of the forests to the west. With sons in the arts, she has a special fondness for symphonic music concerts and art museums. She finds peace in a good book at a Northwoods getaway weekend, adventure in family visits to the east and west coasts, and satisfaction in a column well-written that reaches readers.