Elkhart Lake tax rate down two pennies

ELKHART LAKE — The final numbers are all in and the bottom line still went down.

Village Clerk/Treasurer Jean-ette Moioffer presented the final tax rate sheet to the Village Board Monday and reported that the total tax rate declined by two cents.

The final property tax rate for 2010 is $18.71 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, down from $18.73 last year. That means the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would pay $1,871 in property taxes.

Of the five taxing entities that make up the total tax rate, only one had a tax rate increase from 2009, according to Moioffer.

The Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah School District rate went from $7.06 to $7.52, an increase of 6.5 percent, as the district was negatively impacted like most others across the state by reduced state aid.

The county tax rate dropped 5.4 percent, the village 2.1 percent, Lakeshore Technical College district 3.2 percent and the state 5.6 percent.

An increase of 2.2 percent in the school credit on tax bills also helped lower the overall rate.

The village is moving closer to final adoption of a new zoning ordinance and map, along with its Smart Growth master plan.

Village President Alan Rudnick said the information meeting on the new zoning ordinance held last week raised enough questions and issues that the Planning Commission will be holding another meeting prior to the Dec. 16 public hearing to address them.

“The issues are on East Street, Rhine Street and Lincoln Street,” Rudnick told the board. “This may ultimately spill over into 2010 but we are on track to approve the Smart Growth plan and we’re still on track to have the public hearing (on the zoning ordinance) Dec. 16.”

Trustee Yvonne Landgraf reported that the Administration and Finance Committee will be meeting with representatives of two firms next week to provide assessment services for the village. The village’s previous assessor, Gary Kramer, submitted his resignation earlier.

The Fire Department has decided to put off any work on landscaping and a proposed memorial at the new fire house until next spring, to let the ground settle around the new building, Trustee Steve Kapellen told the board.

The board voted to change the fine structure for parking violations in the village.

Moioffer said Police Chief Randy Boeldt requested the change because his department’s software cannot handle the fine as it is currently structured.

The fine had been $40, with a provision that it would be discounted to $20 if paid within five days of the date of the violation.

Boeldt was asking that it be set at $30, to increase to $40 if not paid within 10 days, $50 after 20 days and $55 and a driver’s license suspension after 30 days.

Trustee Tom Nelson moved to set the fine at $40, increasing to $50 if not paid within 10 days, $60 after 20 days and $65 with a license suspension after 30 days.

Nelson argued that the current fine is $40 — with a discount for early payment — and should not be lowered.

Trustee Mike Wolf countered that the fine was $20, since that is the amount if paid within five days, and argued that the increase to $40 would be too great an increase.

The board approved Nelson’s proposal by a vote of 4-2, with Landgraf joining Wolf in voting no and Trustee Rola Ann Klahn absent.