Village pledges minimum appropriation to secure library levy exemption from county

The Village Board approved Resolution 8252025, a pledge that the Village of Heartland will expend the minimum appropriation required for the Heartland Public Library so the village can be exempt from the Waukesha County library levy. A staff presenter said the minimum appropriation for fiscal 2026 is $467,678, calculated from the county library tax rate and the village’s equalized assessed value. The presenter said the pledge protects village taxpayers from a double tax and preserves county library funding the village receives—staff estimated that not making the pledge would jeopardize roughly $380,000–$390,000 in county funding. The resolution passed on a motion; board members said the annual pledge is a routine requirement and there was no debate on the floor. The board’s action authorizes the appropriation as required under county-library procedures; staff will reflect the pledge in the village budget and in communications to Waukesha County.