The 2022 Village Budget will be considered for full adoption at the Village Board meeting on Thursday, November 11. The meeting will commence with a public hearing on the budget at 6:00 p.m. Anyone who is present at the meeting and wishes to speak on the budget will be heard. For the past two months, Village staff and the Village Board’s standing committees have been reviewing year to date budget figures along with requests and proposal for the 2022 budget.  The Proposed 2022 Budget can be viewed here.

Below is a summary of the Proposed 2022 Budget:

Revenues
  • $2,008 increase (0.18%) to the Village-portion of the property tax levy, as allowed by the State of Wisconsin.
  • $6,239 increase (9%) in General Transportation Aid from the State, which is retrospective funding from the Department of Transportation based on a six-year average of expenditures incurred by the Village in several transportation related categories including new road construction.
  • $9,850 in grant funding from the State of Wisconsin for the police department’s Click it or Ticket Seat Belt enforcement. This is a one time funding grant applied for by the police department.
  • $0 change to Shared Revenue, Recycling Grants and Cable Franchise Aid from the State of Wisconsin.
  • $14,871 increase (11%) in fine and forfeiture revenue, which is back to pre-pandemic level.
  • $1,600 increase (6.5%) to Lighthouse revenues for tower climbs and rentals, which is still slightly below pre-pandemic levels.
Expenditures
  • $17,792 increase (5.9%) in General Government expenditures due to additional expenses for liability insurance and four elections in 2022.
  • $3,818 decrease (33.7%) in auditor service costs as the Village will be switching to a new three-year contract with Hawkins & Ash, CPAs.
  • $1,700 increase (32.1%) in the contracted service for property assessments. The Village will enter into a new contract with our current assessor, Associated Appraisal for the assessment years 2022 through 2026.
  • $17,812 increase (7%) to fees for contracted fire and EMS service as the Village enters a new five-year contract with the Village of Caledonia.
  • $11,038 increase (3.7%) to the Public Works budget which is due to road line striping on Four Mile Road, Lighthouse Drive and Three Mile Road, wage increases and bridge inspection.
  • $2,200 decrease (73%) in the Health and Human Services budget as the Village will no longer be contracting with the City of Racine Health Department for public health services.
  • No proposed changes the per unit residential costs from John’s Disposal’s for garbage, bulk-item, recycling, and yard-waste collections.
  • 3% increase budgeted for staff wages; actual individual wage rates to be set by resolution of the Village Board
Capital Improvement Projects
A total of $41,065 is budgeted for the Village Capital Improvement Projects for large item and facility improvements. Proposed budgeted projects include the following:
  • $5,386 budgeted for new computer workstations.
  • $6,000 for a salt brine sprayer attachment for the Public Works department. The sprayer will be used to apply brine to pre-treat main roads on the Village. This will help reduce the Village’s salt usage and when the Village does need to salt will allow for the salt to be more effective at lower temperatures.
  • $2,600 for new directional sings indicating the Lighthouse Grounds entrance.
  • $5,000 for new safe walking route signs between Village Green and the Lighthouse Grounds.
  • $8,679 for new fencing between the Village Green tennis and pickleball courts.
  • $4,000 for plantings at the Lighthouse Grounds, which are the final items related to the Lighthouse Grounds Beautification Project.

Proprietary Fund (Water & Stormwater)

  • 0.3% increase to water revenues and expenditures.
  • No proposed changes to stormwater revenues.  A 6.3 % increase is planned for expenditures.
  • $25,000 in Utility Capital expenditures for the blow off value replacement program in Wind Meadows.
If you have questions regarding the proposed budget, please contact Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Casey Griffiths at [email protected], or call 262-639-3524.