MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU) — At their first-ever meeting in Marshfield’s new City Hall Tuesday night, Marshfield’s Common Council approved a city budget for 2019 totaling just over $44-million dollars, and city finance director Ron Aumann says that means there’ll be a lower than expected .65% property tax increase.
“For the City of Marshfield, the 2019 adopted budget was a total of $44,108,964.00. The amount to be levied for the city increased a little over $60,000 to a total of $12,852,000,” Aumann explained. “The new mill rate, or tax rate, is slightly over $9.26 per thousand, an increase of a little over 6-cents, or about 0.65% over the prior year.”
That tax rate increase is well below what was originally forecast at the start of the budget process due in part to $218,000 in state ‘offset funds’ that came in. According to Aumann, “It started out actually closer to 2%, then with some adjustments and some cuts, it ended up at 0.65%.”
And the new budget and tax rate are also well within state guidelines, according to the finance director. “It seemed like the council’s real happy with keeping the increases low. It’s well below our statutory allowed increases of 3.8%, and below the last 12 month CPI of about 2.5%.”
Just a few of the items funded in that budget are more street repairs, drug court, and a 2.5% pay raise for City of Marshfield employees.
That 2019 Marshfield city budget and tax rate increase passed by a vote of 7 to 2, with Spiros and Jockheck voting “No.” Alderman Jason Zaleski was absent.
