Town board sends status quo budget to public hearing

By 
KRISTYN HALBIG ZIEHM
Ozaukee Press staff

If there’s one way to describe the Town of Port Washington’s proposed 2020 budget, Town Chairman Jim Melichar said it’s “status quo.”

“Everything’s the same,” he said.

The town will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, after which the residents attending will vote on the proposed $463,525 tax levy.

The levy is a .3% increase from this year’s $461,965 levy.

After the vote, the Town Board is expected to adopt the proposed $604,260 expenditure budget for next year.

The expenditure budget is decreasing 12.6%, from $691,694 in 2019 to $604,260 in 2020.

That’s due in large part to a $50,000 decrease in the capital outlay budget and the general governmental budget — changes largely due to the town’s purchase last year of two properties adjacent to Town Hall.

The town is planning to make repairs to Hawthorne Drive next year, a project initially expected to be done this year but delayed when bids came in over budget.

Funds for the work will be carried over to 2020, when officials hope they can move forward with the project, Melichar said, adding the money could be supplemented with some money in the town reserve fund.

“Hopefully it will come in under budget and we can move ahead on Hawthorne,” he said. 

If the town can’t rebuild Hawthorne, Melichar said, it would likely add an asphalt layer to Mink Ranch Road from Highway K to Northwoods Road and overlay Northwoods Road from Highway 33 to Hillcrest Road.

Town officials may also opt to get quotes for all the projects and then decide what to do, he said.

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