Waukesha Common Council approves a 2.73 percent tax levy increase for 2015

Published on: 11/12/2014

Waukesha taxpayers will pay more on the city portion of their tax bill in 2015.

The tax levy will be $54.55 million, a 2.73 percent increase from 2014, according to figures provided by city of Waukesha Finance Director Richard Abbott. The common council approved the tax levy increase on Nov. 11.

Abbott said the tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value is $10.43 for 2015, up from $10.19 in 2014. This means a homeowner with an assessed value of $200,000 will pay $2,086 on the city portion of their tax bill, up $48 from 2014.

Pay factor in hike

The total operating budget was about $60.6 million, about a 2.29 percent increase from 2014, which met the Expenditure Restraint Program requirements for limiting spending, Abbott said.

Abbott said there are many factors in the increases, including a hike in pay for city workers. City employee salaries will increase 2.75 percent, the result of contractual agreements reached at the bargaining table.

"However, as part of that bargaining the protective services areas agreed to pay 12 percent toward health insurance and the same share as the general employees for retirement," Abbott said. "An offset to the levy this year was also a contract bid for garbage, which was a significant savings over last year."

Capital plans

The council also approved the 2015 Capital Improvement Plan budget, which includes the relocation of Fire Station No. 3. The cost of the relocation is about $4.55 million, more than the Finance Committee's recommendation of $4.45 million.

The increase was largely due to added costs estimated for a police substation and a Parks, Recreation and Forestry building on site.

Construction is expected to begin in 2015 at a site closer to the southwest part of the city off Highway 59 as a way to better meet fire department response times. The current station is located at 1210 Sentry Drive.

City Administrator Ed Henschel said the city is still in negotiations to acquire land for the new station.

Another $50,000 was added to the CIP budget for a new brush chipper for the city's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.