MONROE - The Green County tax levy is inching up next year, but higher property values will actually push the tax rate down slightly.
Under the 2016 proposed budget, Green County is eyeing a tax levy of $17.8 million for next year. The 2016 levy, the maximum amount allowed under state's levy limit, is up about $165,000 from 2015. That represents an increase of 1.11 percent, according to a budget report by county finance committee chairman Harvey Mandel.
The committee recommends using about $2.4 million in money collected in sales taxes in 2014
and 2015, along with $356,000 from the general fund, to reduce the net levy to just more than $15 million.
A 2.54 percent bump in property values will help
offset the slight increase in the levy: Under the budget proposal, the 2016 tax rate will be $5.658 per thousand of equalized value, down from last year's rate of $5.738. In actual dollars, this means the owner of a $100,000 home will pay $565.80 in county taxes next year, while the owner of a $200,000 home will pay $1,131.60. For 2015, those tax bills would have been $573.80 and $1,147.60, respectively.
Expenses are going up 1.7 percent, from this year's budgeted expenditures of $19.8 million to just more than $20 million in 2016. However, the county is on track to end 2015 overbudget, with total expenses of $20.2 million.
County board supervisors received the complete budget, which totals almost 300 pages, in their monthly meeting Tuesday. They will meet for a public hearing on the budget Nov. 10.
- Mary Jane Grenzow
Under the 2016 proposed budget, Green County is eyeing a tax levy of $17.8 million for next year. The 2016 levy, the maximum amount allowed under state's levy limit, is up about $165,000 from 2015. That represents an increase of 1.11 percent, according to a budget report by county finance committee chairman Harvey Mandel.
The committee recommends using about $2.4 million in money collected in sales taxes in 2014
and 2015, along with $356,000 from the general fund, to reduce the net levy to just more than $15 million.
A 2.54 percent bump in property values will help
offset the slight increase in the levy: Under the budget proposal, the 2016 tax rate will be $5.658 per thousand of equalized value, down from last year's rate of $5.738. In actual dollars, this means the owner of a $100,000 home will pay $565.80 in county taxes next year, while the owner of a $200,000 home will pay $1,131.60. For 2015, those tax bills would have been $573.80 and $1,147.60, respectively.
Expenses are going up 1.7 percent, from this year's budgeted expenditures of $19.8 million to just more than $20 million in 2016. However, the county is on track to end 2015 overbudget, with total expenses of $20.2 million.
County board supervisors received the complete budget, which totals almost 300 pages, in their monthly meeting Tuesday. They will meet for a public hearing on the budget Nov. 10.
- Mary Jane Grenzow