Muscoda board approves corrected levy and mill rates, OKs land sale and police pay changes

The Muscoda Village Board on Dec. 9 approved a corrected general fund levy of $905,134 and corrected mill rates of $17.11 per $1,000 for Grant County and $11.71 per $1,000 for Iowa County, and voted on a set of equipment, personnel and land-sale actions.

Village Administrator Cinda Johnson presented the corrected Municipal Levy Worksheet and related budget corrections, including an unused levy amount of $861 in Section B. Trustees approved use of the unused levy amount and later approved the corrected general fund budget by roll-call vote.

Why it matters: the corrected levy and mill rates set the village’s property tax allocation for the coming year and were passed by unanimous roll-call votes, resolving an earlier worksheet error.

The board approved several capital and operating items. Trustee Anderson moved and Trustee Meyer seconded a lease of a skid steer from Simpson Tractor for $8,250 for 2026. Superintendent Wardell presented a $14,999 quote from B&M Technical Services to replace blower motors at the wastewater lagoon; a motion by Trustee Hill, seconded by Trustee Seifert, to approve the $14,999 purchase passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.

Personnel and policy changes included approval of 2026 authorized wage rates as presented, acceptance of the 2025 MEUW safety report, and amendments to the employee manual to add the second half of Good Friday (four hours) and Veterans Day as paid holidays and to reflect current practice of offering paid time off upon hire. Administrator Johnson also proposed that the Employee Emergency Call Policy be reviewed only if issues arise; the board voted to retain the policy under that approach. The board approved a voluntary PTO-donation policy to allow employees to donate accrued time to staff facing prolonged medical leaves.

Public safety staffing and pay: Chief Schramm asked that officers receive time-and-a-half plus eight holiday hours when they work on a paid holiday. The board approved paying officers time-and-a-half plus the regular holiday pay (motion by Trustee Seifert, seconded by Trustee Wiederholt, roll-call vote yes). The board also authorized posting two police positions — Police Officer at $31–$36 per hour and Sergeant at $36–$40 per hour — with a $5,000 sign-on bonus payable $2,500 after one year and $2,500 after two years; a motion to post the positions carried.

Land sale and closed session actions: After adjourning briefly to closed session to discuss staff matters and a potential sale of Industrial Park land under Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(c) and (1)(e), the board reconvened and approved the Planning Commission report (with correction) and accepted an offer from Oechsner’s to purchase 3.69 acres on Howard Street/Old County P, Lot #2, at $10,000 per acre for a total of $37,000. The motion to accept the offer passed unanimously by roll call.

Other routine items approved included appointment of election inspectors for 2026–2027, authorization of Superintendent Wardell and staff to attend the MEUW annual conference in January, acceptance of monthly reports from police and superintendent, approval to advertise in the Progressive and to close certain meal site/ARPA bank accounts, and scheduling office assistant interviews for Dec. 16.

Votes at a glance: - Lease skid steer from Simpson Tractor, $8,250 for 2026 — Moved: Trustee Anderson; Second: Trustee Meyer; Outcome: approved (motion carried). - Purchase lagoon blower/motor replacement, B&M Technical Services, $14,999 — Moved: Trustee Hill; Second: Trustee Seifert; Roll-call: Yes—Miller, Seifert, Anderson, Hill, Wiederholt, Meyer, Imhoff; Outcome: approved. - Amend employee manual (add holidays, PTO-on-hire practice) — Moved: Trustee Seifert; Second: Trustee Miller; Roll-call: Yes—Seifert, Wiederholt, Meyer, Anderson, Hill, Miller, Imhoff; Outcome: approved. - Police holiday pay (time-and-a-half + holiday hours) — Moved: Trustee Seifert; Second: Trustee Wiederholt; Roll-call: Yes—Seifert, Wiederholt, Meyer, Anderson, Hill, Miller, Imhoff; Outcome: approved. - Post two police positions with sign-on bonus — Moved: Trustee Wiederholt; Second: Trustee Meyer; Outcome: approved (motion carried). - Use Municipal Levy Worksheet Section B unused amount ($861) — Moved: Trustee Meyer; Second: Trustee Anderson; Roll-call: Yes—Miller, Hill, Anderson, Meyer, Wiederholt, Seifert, Imhoff; Outcome: approved. - Approve corrected general fund budget (levy $905,134) — Moved: Trustee Anderson; Second: Trustee Meyer; Roll-call: Yes—Miller, Hill, Anderson, Meyer, Wiederholt, Seifert, Imhoff; Outcome: approved. - Approve corrected mill rates (Grant County $17.11/$1,000; Iowa County $11.71/$1,000) — Moved: Trustee Meyer; Second: Trustee Anderson; Roll-call: Yes—Miller, Hill, Anderson, Meyer, Wiederholt, Seifert, Imhoff; Outcome: approved. - Accept offer from Oechsner’s to purchase 3.69 acres (Howard St./Old County P, Lot #2) at $10,000/acre ($37,000 total) — Moved: Trustee Anderson; Second: Trustee Wiederholt; Roll-call: Yes—Seifert, Wiederholt, Meyer, Anderson, Hill, Miller, Imhoff; Outcome: approved.

What board members said: Administrator Cinda Johnson argued for limiting annual review of the emergency-call policy "to only if issues arise," and Chief Schramm pressed for enhanced holiday pay for officers, asking the board to pay "time and a half plus 8 holiday hours" when an officer works a paid holiday. Those proposals were approved as described above.

Next steps: Several items return to the board for implementation or follow-up — Wardell will obtain snowblower pricing for the library and report back at the Jan. 13, 2026 meeting; office assistant interviews are scheduled for Dec. 16; and the transfers and sales resulting from approved motions will proceed according to standard village procedures.