Wow. Some amazing work happening in West Bend. Kudos to the Mayor and the Council.

Common Council members approved the 2017 budget during the Nov. 14 meeting that maintains the tax rate at $8.51 per equalized value, imposes a 2 percent merit pay adjustment for some employees, a $225,000 increase in contingency funding and road maintenance, and that continues to limit borrowing to $1.5 million annually to fund capital improvement projects.

“We are proud to say that the level of government is right around that same 2011 spending mark that we had been maintaining for a long time,” City Administrator Jay Shambeau said. “That comes with great accomplishment in trying to do things at a very lean manner, but also comes with somewhat of a risk.”

There have been multiple meetings related to the budget dating back to early October. At one session, Mayor Kraig Sadownikow instructed administrators to accommodate a merit pay increase for personnel while leaving the tax rate steady.

At a subsequent meeting, Shambeau warned the public that state transportation aid funding would be less than the previousyear by about $100,000. Staff and administrators are adjusting the budget to accommodate that shortfall.

The budget will generate an estimated $20.6 million in revenues from property taxes, along with a general fund balance of about $23 million. They will also pay slightly more than $4 million in interest and principal for debts incurred.

To incorporate the decreased state funding and Sadownikow’s directive into the budget, Shambeau and staff had to reduce expenses or find additional savings in other areas.