APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Outagamie County approved its annual budget Monday night. It’s up by about $65 million this year, but features a slight property tax rate decrease.
Here are three things to know.
1. Property tax rate decrease of $0.17 per $1,000 in property value
There may not be a big change on the final bill though, as of course, property values have appreciated over the course of a year.
The total amount of property taxes collected by Outagamie County is up by $2.099 million.
2. The budget up due to capital projects
The full budget is now up to about $440 million, but according to the county, don’t expect it to stay that way.
“This year’s budget is going to really be the last set of really large projects that we have,” said Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson.
It’ll fund those projects through bonds and other borrowing, continuing Highway 15 expansion near Hortonville and including $20 million to improve Plamann Park.
“I think that this is a visionary thought process,” said Outagamie County Supervisor Cathy Spears about the Plamann Park project. “I applaud you. The more we can get people in that park and generate a revenue stream to improve the parks.”
The Plamann Park project included significant debate with some supervisors proposing the funding be cut to $15 million, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Also coming is a big increase in spending for the airport, but that generates the corresponding revenue for the county.
3. Cuts to the Health and Human Services Department
The cuts are scattered within the department, but it includes the child protection agency, mental health services and public health department.
“There will be people that will not get those services, and it is a misfortune,” said Nelson. “But because of the laws that we have and how far that we can increase the levy [to] pay for those services, we are certainly restrained in how much we can do.”
The board also approved a 1% increase for county employees to account for cost-of-living increases.
The final vote passed 24-5. The dissenters were Ryan Ferguson (District 11), Timothy Hermes (District 14), Mark Mitchell (District 20), Ronald Klemp (District 23) and Steve Thiede (District 24).
The tax levy figure passed unanimously.
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