Whitefish Bay trustees approve slight increase in village levy

Whitefish Bay - Whitefish Bay residents will see only a slight increase in the village portion of their tax bills next year under the village's 2013 budget.

Following a public hearing on Monday, the Village Board approved a resolution adopting the approximately $14.2 million budget, which sets the 2013 property tax levy at nearly $10.6 million.

That amount is an increase of about two-thirds of a percent from the 2012 tax levy. Similarly, the 2013 tax rate will increase by less than 1 percent to about $5.35 per $1,000 of assessed value, about 3 cents more than the current tax rate.

Based on that rate, village property taxes for the owner of a home assessed at $400,000 would amount to about $2,140.

In addition to the tax levy, the resolution approved on Monday also adopts the 2013 budgets for the general fund and several others - debt service, capital, public improvement, borrowed money, and TIF District No. 1 funds.

A separate resolution was passed to adopt the operating budgets for the water, sewer, stormwater and parking utility funds, and another to authorize the extension of specified assessments, special charges and delinquencies on the 2012 tax roll.

The budget includes a sewer user rate increase of 13 cents or about 5 percent, to $2.65 per 100 cubic feet. The increase will amount to an estimated $62,000 gain in revenue for the sewer utility fund in 2013.

There were no comments or discussion from residents or trustees during the public hearing.

The budget is available for public viewing in the Village Clerk's office during normal business hours. Finance Director/Clerk Jennifer Amerell said the final budget is likely to be published and posted to the village's website during the first two weeks of January 2013.