By Jason Arndt
Based on the value of their home, Village of Union Grove residents can likely expect to pay $50 to $70 more in village taxes for 2014, following the Village Board’s approval of its proposed 2014 budget Monday night.
The increase is based on residents owning homes in the range of $150,000 to $200,000 within the Village.
The local tax mil rate for 2014 has risen 35 cents, from $6.93 per $1,000 assessed property value last year to a projected $7.28 rate, which is a 5 percent increase. In 2012, the rate was $6.58/$1,000.
On a 6-1 vote, the Village Board OKd a $30,000 increase in Union Grove’s tax levy, from $1,793,402 last year to $1,824,058, representing a 1.7 percent levy increase.
Village Clerk/Treasurer Jill Kopp noted that multiple taxing entities other than the Village have also increased rates in their 2014 budgets – which will be reflected on upcoming total tax bills.
The total bills reflect taxes from the state, Racine County, the school districts, technical colleges as well as the Village budget, Kopp said.
There was a decrease in transportation aid provided to the Village of Union Grove by the state, from $282,088 in 2013 to $271,293 in 2014. “That was entirely from state so it was out of our control,” Kopp said, adding: “The more money we put in, the more money we receive back.”
Spending for Public Safety needs will rise $8,000 in the 2014 budget, to $841,271.
Officials noted the Village continues to make an effort to keep the Public Safety costs reasonable for its residents.
“We negotiated as much as we could last year so the things we negotiated were never put in this year,” Kopp said. “So it was not entirely in our control.”
The Racine County Sheriff’s Department has raised its rates, she noted. Union Grove will pay $5,000 more in 2014 for its contract with the Sheriff’s office. Despite the latest hike in public safety costs, the Village has improved since 2012, when it spent $872,136 for police/fire protection expenses – about $30,000 more than what’s budgeted for 2014.
The lone dissenter
Trustee Adam Graf cast the only “no” vote against the budget tax proposal Monday night.
“I was the lone ‘no’ vote due to the $30,000 property tax levy increase,” Graf explained via email Tuesday.
“I felt that increasing the levy on residents and business owners would harm them in this still-sluggish economy,” he said.
Graf noted that when he ran for election to the board in April 2013, he promised village voters that he would not vote to increase property taxes.
“I kept my promise last night,” Graf said, adding: “I think my record during my time on the board speaks for itself.
“I have been committed to creating more jobs, improving Union Grove and protecting our taxpayers.”
Editor Patricia Bogumil contributed to this story.
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