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I just received the December newsletter from the South Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce today. You can view it here.

The newsletter contains item on a special Chamber Christmas ornament, some affordable family fun at AMF South Park Lanes and a holiday raffle at M&M Physical Therapy.

Click here to visit the Chamber website and learn more about this valuable organization.

The chamber’s goal is to “promote the commercial, retail and civic welfare of our city,” according to its website. “We have joined together to promote South Milwaukee because we believe South Milwaukee is a wonderful place to live and work.” I couldn’t agree more.

The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center is a true jewel for our community — and that jewel shines bright at Christmas time.

Two big Christmas shows are coming up this week.

• The Milwaukee Children’s Choir will present “A Festival of Winter Spirit” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 6.
• And the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra returns on Wednesday, December 9, with its Hometown Holiday Concert. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m.

You can order tickets by calling 766-5049, or visit the SMPAC website for more.

In case you missed it, here is some news of note from the area …  

• Reprimand Withdrawn Against South Milwaukee Firefighter
• Allied Printing Expands After Acquisition of Competitor
• Another example of why the 2010 South Milwaukee budget was not nearly as painful as it could have been: 3 Weeks After Passing Budget, Franklin Cuts Another $300,000
• Regulators Approve We Energies Deal
• And, not surprisingly, South Milwaukee Republican State Rep. Mark Honadel has endorsed Scott Walker for governor, according to a recent press release from the Walker camp.

The South Milwaukee Common Council voted 8-0 Tuesday to approve the 2010 city budget.

So, what will that mean on your tax bill?

The tax rate approved by the council is about $7.09 per $1,000 of assessed valuation — an approximately 12-cent increase from 2009 — meaning that for the owner of a $200,000 home, the city portion of your tax bill will be $1,418, up from $1,392 last year.

That’s a $26 increase, or about $2 per month.  

Keep in mind that this is for the city portion of your tax bill only … the only part of your bill that the Common Council can control. And we indeed kept increases under control.

I hope 4th District residents are happy with the finished product. I know I am.

I am also grateful for the experience I gained — and lessons I learned from city administration and staff, department heads and other alderpersons — in going through my first budget process as an alderman. It’s knowledge I will apply in coming years.

Check out this post to learn more about the budget.

The South Milwaukee Common Council meets at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, at City Hall, and it’s your final chance to weigh in on the proposed 2010 budget. I hope you can attend.

We held a public hearing on the budget on Monday evening, and no citizens chose to comment on the document. While that’s disappointing, I am happy with the budget we’ll be voting on on Tuesday … and you should be too.

Among the highlights of the proposed budget, which reflect some new, much closer-to-final figures from previous drafts:

• Expenditures are budgeted to increase 2.55% to more than $19.7 million. This is below the state’s expenditure restraint limit of 3.2%, meaning South Milwaukee is line for a payment of nearly $375,000 from the state in 2010 — a well-deserved “reward” for conservative budgeting.
• The tax levy is anticipated to increase 2.49% next year, putting the total levy for city purposes at just over $10 million.
• The corresponding tax rate will be $7.08 per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of 1.77% from 2009, or about 12 cents per $1,000 of valuation on the city portion of your tax bill.

I invite you to learn more about the budget at Tuesday’s council meeting and, if you’d like, let your voice be heard on this important document.

And, while you’re at it, give a big thanks to the mayor, Finance Committee, city administrator and her staff, and all of our department heads for putting together a fiscally responsible and financially sound budget during a difficult economy.

This budget is not without pain — for instance, it includes not filling four vacant positions in the street, engineering and health departments and library — but it could have been worse, a lot worse, if not for a lot of hard work by a lot of people.

December 1 is more than the start of meteorological winter. It’s also the start of winter parking season in South Milwaukee. Learn more on this page on the South Milwaukee Police Department website.

From the site:

During the period from December 1st to March 31st, no person shall park a vehicle on any street in the City of South Milwaukee between the hours of 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM.

However, vehicles may be parked during such hours if a permit is obtained from the Police Department after the filing of an application and the payment of $20.00 per month permit fee, $17.00 if obtained after the 15th of the month, or $65.00 for a 4-month permit.

Also, don’t forget the even-odd restrictions during the winter: You can only park on the even-numbered side of the street on nights whose calendar date before midnight is even.

You can learn more about how and when to obtain parking permits here.

My wife. My children. My family. My job. My church. My health.

My future. Our future.

Indeed, on this day to give thanks, I have so much to be thankful for … including the opportunity to serve South Milwaukee and the residents of the 4th District.

More than six months into my role as alderman, I have been blessed to work with some truly special people who share a common vision and focus — to make South Milwaukee the best place it can be, a city that we are all proud to call home.

Yes, it hasn’t always been easy, and I’ve had my share of frustrations.

But, from helping bring the South Milwaukee Downtown Market to life, to helping constituents with their concerns and complaints, to starting this blog, my time on the Common Council has truly been a labor of love. And I hope that has shown in all I do.

With that in mind, I look forward to serving the 4th District in the months and years to come … and save my biggest thanks on this Thanksgiving Day to the voters for giving me that chance.

Have a joyous and blessed Thanksgiving.

You’ll have plenty of opportunity to weigh in on the 2010 city and South Milwaukee School District budgets in the next week.

To learn more about and comment on the proposed city budget, attend a public hearing planned for 6 p.m. on Monday, November 30, at City Hall. You can view the proposed exeuctive budget — with figures updated as of October 22 — here.

The Common Council is expected to vote on the proposed 2010 budget at its meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, at City Hall.

The school district is also offering chances for the public to weigh in on its proposed budget, with meetings planned for December 1-3 at three local schools. You can see a full list of public input meetings here. And check out this presentation for context about the fall 2009 school budget.

In case you’ve missed the Journal Sentinel’s stories on the Cudahy Municipal Court and the astounding backlog it allegedly faces …

• Cudahy Judge Accused of Misconduct over Case Backload
• Cudahy Judge Says Case Backload Due to Lack of Clerical Help

Also, check out this story on the St. Francis Community Night Out program, and this story on a meeting of the “new” Southeastern Regional Transit Authorit.

And I got an update this week on the ongoing Mitchell International Airport runway project. Click here to see it and sign up to receive regular email updates on the project. You can see my earlier post on this here.