Council Recap: City Approves 2012 Budget, 4th District Public Works Project And More

Update: Here is the letter sent to area residents on the Parkway Drive/17th Avenue project.

The South Milwaukee City Council unanimously approved the 2012 city budget at a special meeting on Tuesday night.

It is essentially the same document I’ve already written about.

Of note, however, is the 2012 tax rate. It, too, was set Tuesday night, and it will be $8.83 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This compares with a city tax rate of $7.24 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for 2011 … although it’s important to point out that this is not an apples to apples comparison.

The revaluation earlier this year reduced property values by an average of more than 10%, so the tax rate was certain to rise to reflect this.

So, how much will your bill increase? Of course, that depends a lot on your revaluation (among other factors). In fact, it’s possible the city portion of your tax bill could decline if your home dropped in value significantly more than the city average.

Among other topics discussed at the council Tuesday …

• The council voted unanimously to approve wages and benefits packages for union and non-union employees in 2012. The biggest changes in these reflect that all city workers outside of police officers and firefighters will pay more for their health insurance and pension next year, in line with the “tools” given communities by state lawmakers. Non-represented workers already began paying more for these benefits last year. Members of AFSCME will pay the higher out-of-pocket costs once their contract expires on June 30.
• We also voted unanimously to spend more than $220,000 to tackle stormwater and sanitary sewer work on Parkway Drive and 17th Avenue in the 4th District. This document describes the work in more detail. Work will begin within the week, as the contractor hopes to get as much done before winter sets in. Construction will continue in the spring – and include the resurfacing of 17th north of Rawson Avenue. The road work will be subject to a separate set of bids in 2012. I’ll keep you posted.
• The Public Works & Public Property Committee also voted to recommend council approval of an ordinance to combine the Wastewater and Water Commissions. The new Water/Wastewater Commission would include seven members and have more direct oversight from the council. One of the biggest changes: All water utility rate increases would now need council approval before they are forwarded on to the state’s Public Service Commission. We’ll also have to approve the water utility and sewer treatment budgets going forward. I’ll keep you posted.