BUDGET'S IMPACT ON THE PROPERTY TAX
Pleasant Prairie's General Government Budget determines how much the Village will need to collect in property taxes in order to cover operating expenses for the year. Department heads work with the Village Administrator to revise budgets as needed to meet public service expectations in the most efficient and sustainable manner possible. The Village Board then reviews and questions individual components of proposed budgets and requests modifications if warranted. The Board holds the ultimate responsibility for approving or rejecting the budget.
After holding a public hearing in November, the Village Board approved the final version of the 2014 General Government Budget. As approved, the 2014 budget will result in a $330,928 increase in the Property Tax Levy. As a point of reference, for a home in the Village valued at $188,000, this will translate into an $11.28 increase in the Village portion of the property tax bill, with a total Village tax of $821.24 for the year. Though the Village collects your entire property tax payment on behalf of Kenosha Unified School District, Kenosha County, the Village, Gateway Technical College, the public library system, and the State of Wisconsin, the Village keeps and uses only 19% of the payment. On page two of this issue, you can learn how the 19% is spent.
BUDGETING OBJECTIVE
"Village department heads work to maintain a high level of service for Village residents at a reasonable cost," explained Village Administrator Mike Pollocoff. "Village staff works with the Board to ensure that the base structure of each core service we provide remains stable and viable. We evaluate the service to see if it's performing well, identify areas that need reinforcement or improvement, and then evaluate the best ways to address these needs as efficiently and thoroughly as possible." You can find additional detail related to the 2014 budget and planned projects by clicking here.