During a November 19 meeting, the Village Board considered and approved the 2013 General Fund Budget. The budget, as approved, maintains the 2013 municipal tax levy at the same level as 2012, includes no plans to borrow through the General Fund, and continues to pay down existing debt.

The approved budget in concert with lower residential and higher commercial and industrial property values will result in a decrease in the property tax bill for a median valued home in Pleasant Prairie. The Village portion of the property tax bill for a median assessed home in Pleasant Prairie will decrease by 4.71% or $40. Based on approved budgets for all of the taxing bodies with authority in the Village, the overall property tax bill for a median priced home in Pleasant Prairie will decrease by about $204 or 4.5%.

When drafting the budget, the Village Board and staff were conscious of the fact that residential home values were still depressed, while industrial and commercial values have increased. The Village worked with the intention of tempering the impact that these two tax paying groups would absorb by maintaining the tax levy at a 0% increase. (The municipal tax levy is the dollar amount to be collected through the property tax in order to cover expenses for providing municipal services in the community.)

Our intentions were (1) to absorb increasing expenses while avoiding a tax increase for residential properties when their values are at their lowest level and (2) not to exacerbate the increased tax responsibility for commercial and industrial taxpayers when their values are higher, explained Village Administrator Mike Pollocoff. We made a conscious decision to help soften the financial impact for property tax payers while still coming up with creative and innovative ways to keep providing a high level of service. That said, however, there will come a point when additional financial strain will begin to erode core services. Information related to the 2013 budget is available by clicking here.