As adopted, the total county ….
As adopted, the total county budget calls for expenditures totaling $27,771,523. Of that amount, projected revenues are $15,394,525 leaving a local property tax levy of $12,376,998. This levy is then apportioned out to the individual municipalities based on their portion of the total equalized value of the county. Property taxpayers got a boost from the county applying $1.4 million of county sales tax revenue to the budget to reduce the levy.
Based on the $1.52 billion equalized value of the county, the projected tax rate to cover the levy will be $8.11 per $1,000 of equalized value. This is a drop of $0.07 per $1,000 of equalized value from last year’s rate.
The county is only one part of the overall tax bill, which also includes the school district, technical college, state and local municipal rates. This number will look different on the tax bills because they are built on the assessed values of properties rather than the equalized value.
Wisconsin imposes a levy freeze on counties based on 1.133% increase over the prior year plus any special levies and debt service levy. The levy adopted by the county board is below the maximum allowed levy of $12,3765,998 by $7,310. Board members approved adopting the budget and setting the levy.
In other business, board members:
_ Approved the highway department equipment schedule authorizing up to $755,900 in expenditures for the potential purchase of two quad-axle patrol trucks and plow equipment, a paint supply truck and miscellaneous equipment needs. Funds to cover the planned purchases come from machinery earnings and equipment fund carryovers, those available funds total $953,000.
_ Approved bridge aid expenses for 2021 totaling $68,294. This covers the county’s portion of the bridges for six projects approved this year. Under the program the county splits the cost of replacing qualifying bridges and culverts with the local municipalities. The county’s portion is then levied across all the participating municipalities.
_ Approved the final redistricting plan setting the districts for the next 10 years. The plan is unchanged from the preliminary plan approved by the county board last month. It makes only minor modifications to boundaries in the city of Medford due to population shifts in those districts.
_ Approved powerline impact fee fund requests from two organizations and tabled action of a third request. Board members unanimously approved awarding $25,000 to Rib Lake Fish and Game Association to help fund the purchase of a trailer for the aquatic weed harvester used by the organization to allow it to be stored over the winter. Approved $6,250 for the creation of hands-on learning spaces at the Jean M. Thomsen Memorial Library in Stetsonville. Board members tabled a request for $10,000 to install new sidewalks at the Taylor House shelter facility. Based on action earlier in the meeting, Thums called for them to table action noting that he felt they were “putting the cart before the horse” based on the status of the overall homeless shelter project.
_ Approved the contract for legal services as county corporation counsel with Schmiege, Graff and Koch Law Firm for 2022. The contract calls for the county to pay $6,800 per month for human services and child support legal services, $190 per hour for general government legal services and $95 per hour for legal assistants and paralegal services. This represents a slight increase over the previous contract.
_ Approved exemptions to the county library tax for the municipalities who support libraries in their communities this includes the village of Gilman, Stetsonville, Rib Lake, the town of Westboro and the city of Medford. The county’s portion of library funding comes from a tax on the municipalities that do not maintain their own libraries.
_ Adopted by unanimous voice votes the Taylor County Farmland Preservation Plan and the Taylor County Forest Annual Work Plan for 2022. Each plan is required for participation in state funding and grant programs.
