Waukesha County capital projects budget advances
Waukesha — While their colleagues to the east in Milwaukee County are scrapping over such things as aquatic centers, employee cuts and higher property taxes, Waukesha County Board members are sailing through the county's 2010 budget proposal without controversy.
On Monday, the Executive Committee approved Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas' five-year $111 million capital projects plan without change. County Board action on it is set for Oct. 27.
Next year's plan calls for $1.5 million in federal aid for energy-saving projects, a new secure corridor for prisoner transfers in the courthouse, an environmental study for the west-Waukesha bypass and initial planning for a new $37 million human services office building, to be built in 2012-'13.
Committees are also reviewing Vrakas' 2010 operating budget of $260 million that would generally maintain services while cutting 15 jobs and imposing a two-day unpaid furlough on most employees. It would increase the property tax levy by 2.8% and the tax rate by 4.5%, to $1.87 per $1,000 equalized (fair market) value. Because of declining property values, the average home would see about a $5 tax increase, officials estimate.
County Board Chairman James Dwyer said because Vrakas includes County Board committee chairmen in his own budget deliberations, controversy is virtually non-existent.
The Finance Committee has allotted 30 minutes for a public hearing on the budget, at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 21, before taking up potential amendments. County Board action is set for 9 a.m. Nov. 10.
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