News Council OKs city tax rate
by Jeff Pederson Sheboygan Falls News Editor
The Sheboygan Falls Common Council certified the city’s 2009-10 tax rate, during its semimonthly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the City Hall Municipal Building.
After previously approving the 2009-10 city budget at its Nov. 18 meeting, the council endorsed a tax rate of 4.86 cents per thousand.
The 2009-10 budget includes a total tax levy of $2,800,670 and a city tax rate of $4.86 per thousand, representing a 4.48-percent tax increase over 2009.
“The tax rate reflects a 20-cent per thousand increase over last year,” Alderman Duane Glancey said. “The 4 percent increase puts us around the middle of the pack in comparison to other municipalities in the area.”
The city’s net tax rate for 2009-10 is $18.83 per thousand.
“Although it is an incease, our tax rate is reasonable, when you compare it to the rates of other cities in our region,” Mayor Randy Meyer said.
In other business, the council approved the 2010 BID tax rate of $1.45 per thousand.
In a city services motion, the Council approved a service agreement with Veolia Solid Waste Midwest Inc. to serve as the city’s solid waste, recycling and disposal contractor through 2012.
The council backed the purchase of a pickup truck salter from Fischer’s Fleet Service at a price of $5,978.
In public-safety business, the council granted a travel/school request for Sheboygan Falls Police Department Deputy Chief Steve Ross to attend a two-day event security planning for public safety professional’s workshop at Volk Field in Camp Douglas.
Operator-license applications were approved for Robin K. Stahl, Kayla M. Alfonsi and Jipson M. Vincent. Jenna L. Lawrence was also granted an operator-license renewal.
City Clerk-Treasurer Joel Tauschek mentioned an omission in the city’s notice of nomination, which was announced at the Nov. 18 council meeting and recently published in The Sheboygan Falls News.
The office of municipal court judge was not included in the initial notice of nomination for the upcoming 2010 spring election, set for Tuesday, April 6, 2010
David Specht currently holds the municipal-judge seat, which carries a four-year term. The new term for the municipal judge position will run through April 2014.
Other city offices up for re-election on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 include: mayor (Randy Meyer incumbent), 1st district alderperson (Terry Van Engen incumbent), 2nd district alderperson (Randy Messner incumbent) and 3rd district alderperson (Dawn Beimel incumbent).
The mayor and alderperson seats include two-year terms, which expires in April 2012.
Nomination papers for the offices can now be circulated. The deadline to file nomination papers with the Sheboygan Falls City Clerk’s Office is Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 5 p.m. If a primary is necessary, it will be held Tuesday, Feb. 16.
The council approved the appointments of Joe Richardson III and Ed Evanoff to service three years terms on the BID Board.
In addition, 68 city residents were appointed to serve two-year terms as election inspectors.
Prior to the regular meeting, the Committee of the Whole met in closed session to discuss union bargaining.
The council meeting was delayed nearly 50 minutes, due to a lack of a quorom for voting and approval purposes.
The scheduled 6:30 p.m. meeting got under way upon the arrival of Alderman Thomas McCue at approximately 7:20 p.m.
Alderpersons Randy Messner and Anne Krauter were not present at the meeting. The next Sheboygan Falls Common Council meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 6:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers at the City Hall Municipal Building.
