Funds go further this year
The Menomonee Falls school district property taxes will be lower during 2014/15 and will fund more, thanks to several factors.
The state is giving the village 12% more in funds; an amount coming in at $1m not accounted for in the village's budget. In addition, Menomonee Falls' value has increased as a whole, with a 1.06% decrease in tax levy.
According to Jeff Gross, Director of Business Services for the village, residents paid $12.35 per $1,000 in property taxes last year. This year, however, they will pay $11.53, which is 6.64% less.
The village could have lowered the tax levy by an even greater amount, but Gross believes that keeping the levy around the same as what citizens agreed to and using the excess funds to pay for the high school referendum in 2007 would be more advisable.
Next year's budget is likely to include less funding from the state, up to 15%, since the village's equalized value went up this year. This year's budget had multiple technological expenses to cove,r such as laptops and college software.
Areas that find themselves in a similar position to Menomonee Falls may want to hire a printing company to create handouts for citizens to read over. These handouts should have clear visuals to explain the more technical financial concepts, making them easy to digest.
The state is giving the village 12% more in funds; an amount coming in at $1m not accounted for in the village's budget. In addition, Menomonee Falls' value has increased as a whole, with a 1.06% decrease in tax levy.
According to Jeff Gross, Director of Business Services for the village, residents paid $12.35 per $1,000 in property taxes last year. This year, however, they will pay $11.53, which is 6.64% less.
The village could have lowered the tax levy by an even greater amount, but Gross believes that keeping the levy around the same as what citizens agreed to and using the excess funds to pay for the high school referendum in 2007 would be more advisable.
Next year's budget is likely to include less funding from the state, up to 15%, since the village's equalized value went up this year. This year's budget had multiple technological expenses to cove,r such as laptops and college software.
Areas that find themselves in a similar position to Menomonee Falls may want to hire a printing company to create handouts for citizens to read over. These handouts should have clear visuals to explain the more technical financial concepts, making them easy to digest.