Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Village board adopts 2025 budget, passes dog‑license hike and votes to hire DPW superintendent
Summary
The Village Board adopted its 2025 budget — raising the mill rate slightly — approved ordinance 24‑03 raising dog license fees, approved routine contracts and appointments, and voted to hire a candidate for DPW superintendent; one name discrepancy in the packet is noted in the record.
The Village Board voted to adopt a proposed 2025 budget and approved several routine items at its meeting, including passage of ordinance 24‑03 to raise village dog license fees and a hiring motion for the public works superintendent.
Clerk Katie presented the budget overview, saying the village expects state shared revenue to increase by roughly $2,000 and that the state personal property tax aid will offset the removal of personal property tax from assessed values (the aid was listed as $34,567.27). She told the board the proposed budget increases the tax levy by about 1.74% and moves the mill rate from $6.15 to $6.25 per $1,000 of assessed value, “which is a 1.6% increase” and would cost the average taxpayer roughly $10 more per $100,000 of assessed value.
“The principal payments on the 2013A bond are $270,000,” Clerk Katie said while reviewing debt service, and she noted that the village set up a new capital account and proposed an initial $125,000 transfer for road projects.
Why it matters: Board members said the capital account will allow the village to fund road repairs without taking a new note and discussed prioritizing failed roads for 2025, and trustees pressed for clear breakdowns of public‑works payroll costs that had been consolidated into a single DPW pool.
Ordinance and contracts: The board passed ordinance 24‑03, which raises unspayed/unneutered dog license fees from $15 to $17 annually and spayed/neutered fees from $10 to $12; it also increases the late‑purchase penalty and preserves required remittances to Waukesha County under county rabies rules. The board approved a municipal service agreement with the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County, listed at $1,189.65 annually.
Personnel and other votes: The board voted to enter closed session under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(c) for personnel deliberations and, after returning to open session, moved to hire the candidate for DPW superintendent. The meeting packet referenced the closed‑session employment matter as involving “Eric Groff,” while the open‑session hiring motion named “Eric Cross.” The board’s recorded motion in open session approved the hire; the record does not reconcile the name discrepancy.
Votes at a glance: • Approval of October 3 and October 16 minutes — passed by voice vote. • Approval of bills totaling $167,880.92 — passed. • Passage of ordinance 24‑03 (dog license fee increases) — passed. • Adoption of the 2025 budget (mill rate to $6.25) — passed. • Approval of Humane Animal Welfare Society municipal service agreement ($1,189.65) — passed. • Hiring of DPW superintendent (motion carried; packet referenced both “Eric Groff” and “Eric Cross” in different places). • Appointment of Rich Walther to the Police and Fire Commission — passed.
What’s next: The budget becomes the village’s guiding spending plan for 2025; trustees discussed using the new capital account to advance one road project in 2025 and to plan additional work for 2026. The packet and minutes will remain the official record; the hiring file for the DPW superintendent should be checked to resolve the name discrepancy noted at the meeting.
