The South Milwaukee Common Council approved the city’s 2024 operating budget on November 21, and it is reflected in tax bills that have hit mailboxes in the last couple of weeks.
Check out the full document, with context, here.
I asked City Administrator Patrick Brever for a few additional details, and here is his response …
- For the 3.34% increase in the levy, approximately 90% ($381,483) can be attributed to debt service. These are the City’s payments for borrowings for the capital improvement and project budgets.
- The increase in public safety can largely be attributed to the paramedic fund being moved over to the general fund. On page 1 of the budget pages, you’ll see that the paramedic fund now shows $0 for 2024. Paramedics are now reflected in the public safety budget.
- The conservation and development budget includes funding for an update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan as well as a rewrite of the zoning chapter of the municipal code. Per WI statute, we are required to update the comprehensive plan every 10 years. The City’s zoning code has not been updated since the early 1990s.
I also asked about revenues …
- The City received an additional $746,000 through the supplemental shared revenue approved with the Act 12 local government funding.
- With moving paramedic expenses to the general fund, ambulance charges have moved over as well. This resulted in $600,000 moving to the general fund.
- Based on recent interest collected on investments, we are forecasting a 73% increase in 2024 to $225,000.
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