Tax rate slated to drop, levy to increase

BY KEVIN BONESKE

REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Rhinelander’s Finance, Wage and Salary Committee has forwarded a budget for next year to the full City Council that would decrease the tax rate, but increases the dollar amount of the general property tax levy for city purposes.

City finance director Julie Ostrander informed the committee at Tuesday’s meeting as to the tax rate calculations used for the 2017 budget. The figures she presented note that though the budget calls for the total amount to be levied to increase by more than $28,000 to $6,408,183, the tax rate would go down by about 7 cents per $1,000 of property so that the city tax cost to a $100,000 homeowner in Rhinelander would come to $1,046.15.

Ostrander reported the city’s total assessed value has increased by almost $7 million to $612,548,900, which made it possible to increase the city’s general levy by $9,067 over the previous year without increasing the tax rate.

“Our city assessed value came in high, compared to last year,” she said.

The general levy, which accounts for the bulk of city property taxes, remained the same the previous two years before the proposed increase to $4,605,421. Next highest is the levy for debt service budgeted at $905,264 with a decrease of $11,271 in debt payments compared to the previous year. The airport levy would remain the same at $197,081, while a 1.18 percent increase is in the budget for a library levy of $267,446.

As noted in the budget summary, next year’s request calls for $8,949,675 in general operation revenue and total expenses, an increase of almost $9,000 in budgeted expenditures from 2016.

The City Council will consider final action on the 2017 budget at Monday’s meeting.