Alderman Taylor Wants Your Input On City Budget

Currently the Finance Committee is working on the 2010 budget which Mayor Taylor submitted to us last week. The budget as submitted increases the tax levy by 2.9% and the tax rate by 1.8%. What this means to you is that the City tax rate will raise from $5.83 per $1,000 of the assessed value to your property to $5.94. The tax rate is the result of the tax levy required to finance all City spending divided by the total assessed value of the City.

The recommended budget doesn't fund two vacant positions in the police department, one in fire department, highway department and also municipal custodian. The Mayor's budget cuts in half funding to the Civic Celebrations and St. Martin's Fair with the goal to eliminate all contributions in 2011.

The Mayor also recommends installing a Weather Alert Siren System at a cost of approximately $150,000. Currently we are the only City in Milwaukee County without one and since I was elected it is an item that Franklin residents have been inquiring about.

In the past few weeks I have been randomly calling some of my constituents asking them what services provided by the City are they willing to live without and I have gotten all different answers. Now, I am asking you, no matter where you live in the City, to share with me your thoughts on the City's budget. If you want us to fill any of the listed vacant positions what service provided by the City are you willing to see cut? The City's budget is almost 80% payroll so if you want to add to one department it is likely that we have to eliminate from another.

The Finance Committee will be meeting on Wednesday October 7th at 6:30 and Tuesday October 13th at 3:00. There will be a Joint Common Council/Finance Committee Meeting on November 4th at 6:30 and a public hearing before the Common Council on November 17th at 6:30. Please call me at 414-301-9786 or email me at staylor@franklinwi.gov with any ideas or suggestions.

Steve F. Taylor

Common Council President