Barrett's Proposed 2011 City of Milwaukee Budget Provides for Increase in Some Branch Library Hours

Bay View Library

Link to September 23 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article, "Barrett seeks to hold line on property taxes".

Excerpt: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is calling for a small cut in property taxes and a boost in hours for four libraries in the 2011 city budget he will unveil Thursday.

The $1.48 billion spending plan would shave $2,112, less than one-thousandth of 1%, off this year's $247.4 million property tax levy. Because the city's total assessed value has declined nearly 3%, the tax rate would rise 2.7%, from slightly less than $8.89 per $1,000 assessed value to slightly more than $9.12.

But the average home's assessed value has dropped, too, from about $127,000 to about $123,000, meaning the city line on the average tax bill would dip $6.44, or 0.6%, from $1,129.21 to $1,122.77.

If the Common Council agrees, it would be the first property tax cut since Barrett took office in 2004, and it comes as he is running for governor.

Hours at the Bay View, East, Washington Park and Zablocki branch libraries would increase to 45 hours per week, up from the current 35.