Port council OKs budget as residents rap safety building plan

By KRISTYN HALBIG ZIEHM

Ozaukee Press staff

A 2025 City of Port Washington budget that will result in a 22.4% tax levy increase was approved by the Common Council Tuesday with little comment from officials but continued criticism from residents concerned about a proposed $33.5 million public safety building that is contributing to a tax hike this year and an even larger increase in 2026.

The 2025 budget increase is largely due to a successful April referendum that sought a $1.175 million levy increase to hire six full-time paramedics to staff the city’s ambulance — a move that was followed by news that a public safety building that would house both the police and fire departments on the city’s far west side would cost a projected $33.5 million.

The city plans to borrow for the project, and the 2025 budget includes spending $22 million on the building, with the rest of the money spent in 2026.

The 2025 budget will increase taxes on a $300,000 house by $383, and in 2026 the public safety building alone is expected to add $573 to the tax bill.

Several people questioned the building project during Tuesday’s meeting, with Kevin Grady, 1300 Portview Dr., telling aldermen he would like to see the city start over.

“I think there’s been a lot of distrust the council has brought into the community,” he said. “You seem to be headed on the same road our Port School Board went down as far as not being transparent with what you’re trying to get done and lacking input from the community.

“There’s been no referendum on this. I think there should have been more input from the community as to what’s taken place. The fire pit conversations they (residents of his district) are having in their neighborhoods are very much against what’s happening here. I’d be in favor of you finding a way to say no and go back to the drawing board.”

Barrett Genson, 1822 Newport Vista Dr., told aldermen he questioned the process used in the early planning, saying there was not enough expertise on the working group that did the initial planning for the building.

“This is probably the biggest building any of you will see while you serve the community,” Genson said. “You need to have more expertise. Surely you have more respect for the citizens of Port Washington than to shove such a project down our throats without a referendum.”

The city’s 2025 expenditure budget of $12.3 million is 18% more than last year’s spending plan.

Finance Director Mark Emanuelson said two critical issues are reflected in the budget — a $466,000 increase in debt service for past projects and the paramedic funding.

Emanuelson noted that the budget includes $1.3 million for paramedics, a figure that is offset by $100,000 in increased revenue, bringing the overall impact to $1.2 million.

  Former Port mayor Mark Dybdahl, 247 Brian Ct., asked about the impact of the debt the city will take on for the public safety building on budgets moving forward.

With that borrowing, Emanuelson said, the city will have used about 80% of its debt limit.

“It’s still a substantial capacity to try and meet the needs of the community,” he said.

To support the budget, the Common Council approved a tax levy of $9 million, an increase of $1.7 million, or 22.7%.

That means the owner of a house assessed at $300,000 will pay $2,085 in taxes, an increase of $383 from last year’s $1,703.

The owner of a house valued at $200,000 will pay $1,390 in city taxes next year, an increase of $256, while the owner of a $250,000 house will pay $1,738, an increase of $318.

The owner of a house valued at $350,000 will pay $2,433, an increase of $447, while the owner of a $400,000 house will pay $2,780, an increase of $510.

Aldermen also approved a $1.79 per $1,000 assessment for downtown property owners who are part of the city’s business improvement district.

The district funds Port Main Street Inc., which handles promotions, festivals and other projects in downtown.