The Monroe Common Council's Finance and Taxation Committee should be commended for forwarding a proposed 2010 budget that increases its property tax levy by only 1.76 percent.
The committee unanimously approved a budget plan Monday that increases the levy from $5.998 million in 2009 to $6.103 million in 2010. The 1.76 percent increase is below the 3 percent allowed by the state.
The biennial state budget passed this summer shifts a number of costs to local government. To compensate, the budget included an allowance for local governmental bodies to increase their levies by 3 percent instead of the normal state cap of 2 percent.
Two years ago, when the state made a similar concession - allowing municipalities to increase tax levies by nearly 4 percent - the City of Monroe added spending to its budget to take full advantage. This after aldermen had developed a plan that was within the 2 percent limit.
We were critical of the city then, and before this year's process urged the Finance and Taxation Committee to resist the temptation to take the full amount allowed by the state. At the beginning of the month, Finance and Taxation Committee Chairman Kent Kallembach said the city first should make cuts to get to the 3 percent levy increase, then work to get it to 2 percent.
In the end, that's what Mayor Ron Marsh, the committee and department heads did. They've done a service to the city's property tax payers who need every bit of financial good news they can get.
The budget still needs final approval from the Common Council, which will vote on the plan after a public hearing Nov. 17.
As Monroe Treasurer and Comptroller Cathy Maurer pointed out Monday, there isn't much wiggle room in the proposed budget. And we're concerned that the budget includes $20,000 in revenue from downtown parking enforcement that can't be counted on. The council hasn't yet decided whether, or how, to set up and enforce a system of parking rules, fees and fines.
But there are some examples in the budget of the city working to live within its means, such as the decision to leave vacant a Street Department position and decide against a dump truck purchase projected at $125,000.
And the budget also wisely includes a provision that allows the city to buy bonds to pay to build a west-side fire station should the council decide next year to build one. The capital line item is a mechanism that allows a second station decision to be made next year, but doesn't commit the city to moving forward.
In the end, the 2010 City of Monroe budget appears to be a tight, sensible plan. And while next year we'd prefer to see the committee and department heads more involved publicly in making budget decisions, we commend them for what is likely to be the final result.
The committee unanimously approved a budget plan Monday that increases the levy from $5.998 million in 2009 to $6.103 million in 2010. The 1.76 percent increase is below the 3 percent allowed by the state.
The biennial state budget passed this summer shifts a number of costs to local government. To compensate, the budget included an allowance for local governmental bodies to increase their levies by 3 percent instead of the normal state cap of 2 percent.
Two years ago, when the state made a similar concession - allowing municipalities to increase tax levies by nearly 4 percent - the City of Monroe added spending to its budget to take full advantage. This after aldermen had developed a plan that was within the 2 percent limit.
We were critical of the city then, and before this year's process urged the Finance and Taxation Committee to resist the temptation to take the full amount allowed by the state. At the beginning of the month, Finance and Taxation Committee Chairman Kent Kallembach said the city first should make cuts to get to the 3 percent levy increase, then work to get it to 2 percent.
In the end, that's what Mayor Ron Marsh, the committee and department heads did. They've done a service to the city's property tax payers who need every bit of financial good news they can get.
The budget still needs final approval from the Common Council, which will vote on the plan after a public hearing Nov. 17.
As Monroe Treasurer and Comptroller Cathy Maurer pointed out Monday, there isn't much wiggle room in the proposed budget. And we're concerned that the budget includes $20,000 in revenue from downtown parking enforcement that can't be counted on. The council hasn't yet decided whether, or how, to set up and enforce a system of parking rules, fees and fines.
But there are some examples in the budget of the city working to live within its means, such as the decision to leave vacant a Street Department position and decide against a dump truck purchase projected at $125,000.
And the budget also wisely includes a provision that allows the city to buy bonds to pay to build a west-side fire station should the council decide next year to build one. The capital line item is a mechanism that allows a second station decision to be made next year, but doesn't commit the city to moving forward.
In the end, the 2010 City of Monroe budget appears to be a tight, sensible plan. And while next year we'd prefer to see the committee and department heads more involved publicly in making budget decisions, we commend them for what is likely to be the final result.
