County Planning and Development Committee favors fee hikes
No property tax levy increase sought with additional staff
By KEVIN BONESKE
REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER
Oneida County’s Planning and Development Committee favors keeping the same property tax levy to pay for next year’s planning and zoning department operations, despite plans to add staff in 2018, and instead wants to come up with the additional money by raising permit fees, said committee chairman Scott Holewinski.
Though specific increases in permit fees charged by the planning and zoning department have yet to be finalized for next year, Holewinski said those increases overall are projected to bring in 35 percent more revenue in fees for next year to cover a budget hike of $163,000.
Committee members went through the 2018 planning and zoning budget at Wednesday’s meeting. They previously backed a staffing request for next year to add two new zoning technicians, one in the Rhinelander office and the other in the Minocqua office, at an estimated annual cost of $68,306 to $74,663 each. The committee members, who also questioned how those positions could be funded when they met Aug. 30, discussed the possibility of raising permit fees to generate additional revenue.
Of the $163,000 proposed increase for the planning and zoning budget, Holewinski said $140,000 would be budgeted for the two new zoning technicians, another $15,000 for a limited-term employee and $8,000 for mileage.
The department’s proposed budget will be considered during next month’s budget hearings by the county’s Administration Committee before final action on the 2018 budget is taken by the full County Board at its November meeting.
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