Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wheel Tax Proposed in Janesville


Janesville budget calls for wheel tax. (Janesville Gazette, 10/11/2011)

Excerpt: The Janesville City Council is being asked to impose a $10 annual wheel tax to help balance the 2012 city budget.

City Manager Eric Levitt said his goals in creating the budget were maintaining services and preserving jobs.

The council received the budget Monday. Study sessions begin at Tuesday, Oct. 18.

Levitt said a user fee such as a wheel tax would help “diversify revenue” at a time when state shared revenues are dropping and when a state cap limits the amount the city can collect through property taxes.

The wheel tax would collect $10 for each licensed vehicle kept in the city.

The proposed city budget includes a spending increase of about $550,000 for operations and a tax levy increase 2.43 percent.

Levitt does not believe the levy increase would hit the average person hard, but the recent revaluation could affect people differently, he said.

The value of the average Janesville home increased 5.35 percent—from $114,000 in 2010 to $120,100 in 2011—after the recent revaluation. Commercial property increased an average of 27 percent.

Under the proposed budget, the owner of the average home would pay $946 in city property taxes, down from $955
.

All revenue generated from a wheel tax must be used for transportation-related purposes.  City Manager Eric Levitt is proposing the estimated $550,000 raised by a Janesville wheel tax be used for street maintenance, "money that would come off the property taxes".  Wonder how this will go down after a $40 garbage disposal fee that the City Council approved last year?

Other Wisconsin county and municipal budget news.
City of Marshfield 2012 budget update.  (10/12/2011)
City of Oshkosh 2012 budget update.  (10/12/2011)
City of Fond du Lac to eliminate assessor's office.  (10/12/2011)
Sheboygan officials no longer have the "headache" of maintenance of effort.  (10/11/2011)
City of Waukesha considers annual garbage fee.  (10/9/2011)
Brown County proposes cuts to employee benefits.  (10/9/2011)
Library salaries focus of debate at Sussex-Lisbon budget discussion.  (10/8/2011)
City of  Delavan administrator requests all department reduce operating budgets by 8%.  (10/8/2011)
Village of Waterford looks at across-the-board cuts.  (10/8/2011)
Ripon city administrator on 2012 municipal budget.  (10/8/2011)
4% cut to library funding in Appleton mayor's 2012 proposed budget.  (10/8/2011)
McMillan library staff reorganization saves Wisconsin Rapids $45,075. (10/5/2011)
Budget reduction forces cuts in hours, positions @ the La Crosse Public Library. (10/3/2011)
Marathon County cuts employee benefits to balance 2012 budget.  (10/3/2011)
City of Sheboygan 2012 proposed budget.  (10/3/2011)
2012 Brown County Public Library proposed budget.  (10/1/2011)
1.2% of Janesville residents get to wag the dog.  (9/30/2011)
Beloit Public Library proposed 2012 budget.  (9/30/2011)
Shawano City-County Library receives $13,000 cut (3%) in county funding.  (9/28/2011)
City of Rhinelander looking at a $200,000 decrease in revenue for 2012.  (9/27/2011)
Mayor Barrett's proposed 2012 budget increases hours, expands 3 educational initiatives @ the Milwaukee Public Library.  (9/26/2011)
Janesville:  Slight decrease in 2012 Hedberg Public Library budget.  (9/25/2011)
Fond du Lac faces $1.7 million deficit.  (9/23/2011)
McFarland wrestles with 2012 budget..  (9/22/2011)
Beloit to make deep cuts to police, fire departments.  (9/22/2011)
Wisconsin Rapids 2012 budget process underway.  (9/22/2011)
Oshkosh 2012 budget deficit projected to balloon to as much as $2.3 million.  (9/20/2011)
Facing $2.5 million shortfall, La Crosse considers a variety of fees.  (9/14/2011)
100 show up at Dodgeville budget hearing.  (9/12/2011)
Zero percent increase for Prairie du Sac department budgets.  (9/7/2011)
City of Ashland looks at projected shortfall of $329,000 in 2012 budget.  (8/26/2011)
Dodgeville city council to hold listening session on 2012 budget.  (8/26/2011)
Shawano budget deficit at $504,800.  (8/25/2011)
City of Ripon facing $110,000 budget deficit for 2012.  (8/25/2011)
Long list of cuts on table for Racine city services.  (8/25/2011)
Dodge County Administrator:  "Governor Walker does not speak for Dodge County".  (8/25/2011)
Longevity bonuses in Portage might become a thing of the past.  (8/24/2011)
Declining property values pose a challenge to Columbus budget development.  (8/24/2011)
Whitewater council looks at 0% tax levy increase.  (8/24/2011)
Janesville residents asked to make tough choices in online budget scorecard.  (8/24/2011)
Village of Darien officials ask for input on 2012 budget.  (8/24/2011)
City of Marshfield has some wiggle room in its 2012 budget development.  (8/24/2011)
Soglin on 2012 Madison budget:  "Every service we rely on is vulnerable".  (8/23/2011)
With a ballooning budget deficit, Marathon County considers a tax increase.  (8/23/2011)
Sheboygan's Strategic Fiscal Planning Committee to determine what city will look like.  (8/19/2011)
Brown County Exec looks at same tax levy, impact on services to be determined.  (8/18/2011)
City of Shawano wrestles with $128,000 deficit.  (8/16/2011)
Possible double whammy for Shawano City-County Library.  (8/15/2011)
Portage County Executive looks to "create a bridge to a new design, a way of functioning on less".. (8/15/2011)
Antigo cuts fire, police positions.  (8/15/2011)
Adding up the budget numbers in the Fox Valley.  (8/14/2011)
Sauk County officials ask for input.  (8/12/2011
Marathon County ranks services to address $500,000 budget shortfall.  (8/12/2011)
City of Beloit faces a challenging budget process.  (8/8/2011)
Fond du Lac city manager sez Governor's tools not enough to offset cuts.  (8/2/2011)
Manitowoc mayor asks department heads for 10% budget cuts.  (8/2/2011)

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