THE BUDGET PROCESS
Village department heads began working on their 2011 proposed general fund budgets this past summer and held a public working session to review them in October. The general fund budget is the portion of the Village budget that determines how much the Village will need to collect in property taxes in order to cover operating expenses. The Village Board holds the ultimate responsibility for approving or rejecting the Village budget as presented by the Village Administrator. They review and question individual components of all areas of the budget and request modifications to budget plans during the process.
PROPERTY TAX IMPACT
After holding a public hearing this month, the Village Board approved the final version of the 2011 General Government budget. As approved, the budget will result in a $244,444 increase in the Village Property Tax Levy. As a point of reference, for a home in the Village valued at $211,900, this will translate into a $20.77 increase in the Village portion of the property tax bill, with the total Village tax of $845 for the year. Though the Village collects your entire property tax bill on behalf of Kenosha Unified School District, Kenosha County, the Village, Gateway Technical College, the public library system and the State of Wisconsin, the portion of your 2011 property tax bill received by the Village will be only 19% of your total bill.
BUDGETING APPROACH
As department heads began the 2011 budgeting process, they continued to face similar economic challenges to those that both businesses and individuals have been facing around the nation since the end of 2008. As they evaluated the need for projects or replacements in the upcoming years, their focus, to maintain a high level of service for Village residents at a reasonable cost, remained firm. "The main objective is to not allow ourselves to fall behind in providing services in response to these economic challenges," explained Village Administrator Mike Pollocoff, "because ultimately, that scenario will lead to a more expensive fix in the medium- to long-term." To learn more about the Village approach to the 2011 budget and steps taken to keep 2011 costs down, see page 6 of your Village Newsletter. You can find even more budget related information by clicking here.