TIF funds will offset levy hike; city portion of most tax bills should go down
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
Mayor Bob Miller expects the City of Burlington’s 2013 budget to be on the agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
That meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The total tax levy for the City is expected to be about $5.5 million – up from $5.46 million a year ago. However, with the full benefit of a tax incremental financing district coming back onto the city tax rolls, the mill rate is expected to drop.
“What people will pay will actually go down,” City Administrator Kevin Lahner said following the final budget workshop Oct. 30.
Miller added that if the budget wasn’t on the agenda for next week, he expected to see it on the Dec. 4 agenda.
In other items at the Nov. 7 council meeting:
• The council approved the creation of the Kane Street Historical District, which will allow the city to receive a grant of more than $10,000.
“We’re looking to make it possible for people to get listed on the national register,” said Tom Stelling, who pulled the proposal together.
• At the Committee of the Whole meeting, the council also asked for a resolution to consider a proposal that local municipalities receive a “fair share” of road user fees for local roads.
Ed Huck, who spoke on behalf of A Thousand Friends and Fair Share Coalition, wanted to see a larger share of those funds allocated – a shift from about 17 percent to at least 50 percent.
There were differing views from the council, ranging from support for the project to wondering how it would affect the state.
One of Huck’s points was that if less money were available for state road projects, it might force the state into being more frugal in the work being done – for example, doing only the projects that need to be done vs. spending the money.
On the other side of things, Alderman Tom Preusker added, “I don’t want to see highways deteriorate and Brookfield get more cul de sacs.”
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