Finance committee wraps up work on 2018 city budget
General fund tax levy to stay constant
BY KEVIN BONESKE
REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER
Rhinelander’s Finance, Wage and Salary Committee wrapped up its work Tuesday on the 2018 budget being forwarded for final approval next month by the full City Council.
City finance director Wendi Bixby reviewed the proposed 2018 budget for the committee, which voted to have it published prior to consideration by the council at its Nov. 13 meeting. As proposed, next year’s general operation budget calls for $8,939,008 in estimated total revenues and $8,917,589 in estimated total expenses for a projected surplus of $21,418.
On the revenue side, the figures Bixby presented note the general levy, which accounts for the bulk of city property taxes, would remain the same as the previous year at $4,605,421.
Next highest is the levy for debt service budgeted at $908,124 with an increase of almost $3,000 in debt payments.
The airport levy would remain the same at $197,081, while a 6.06 percent increase is in the proposed budget for a library levy of $283,661, a number Bixby pointed out could change with arbitration taking place to determine what the levies should be for the municipalities comprising Rhinelander’s library district.
At this point, the total property tax levy included for Rhinelander’s proposed 2018 budget calls for a dollar amount increase of around $19,000.
Bixby said Tuesday the city doesn’t yet have the final figures for equalized value, for which she hopes to receive later this week to be able to calculate the city’s property tax rate.
The largest expenditure in next year’s proposed general operation budget is for public safety with a total of $4,227,864, a 3.9 percent increase from the 2017 budget. Of that amount, $2,280,266 is for police, a 4.46 percent increase, and $1,947,598 for fire, a hike of 3.25 percent.
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