EM tax levy of $259,000 same as last four years
By LeAnn R. Ralph
ELK MOUND — Once again, the tax levy for the Village of Elk Mound will be $259,000.
The tax levy of $259,000 is the same as last year — and it is the same as the last four years, said Pat Hahn, village clerk-treasurer, at the Elk Mound Village Board’s November 20 meeting.
The budget for 2014 of $757,967 includes $40,000 for a contingency fund, Hahn said.
As of the November 20 meeting, Hahn said she did not have information on the First Dollar credit, the lottery credit or the school credit, but if the amounts are the same or similar to last year, Elk Mound residents will be paying about the same in taxes for the village’s share, she said.
The Elk Mound Village Board unanimously approved the tax levy for the 2014 budget of $259,000.
Village Trustee Tom Gilbert was absent from the meeting.
Village President Andy Peterson and Village Trustees Travis Wenzel, Deb Creaser-Kipp, Pat McDougall, Paula Turner and Tony Schrantz voted in favor of the motion.
The 2014 budget, which represents a nearly 24 percent increase over the 2013 budget, includes $166,000 for the University Street project.
The 2013 budget was $612,306. The 2012 budget was $599,413.
State-shared revenue for 2014 will be $234,659, representing a $220 decrease over state-shared revenue in 2013.
In 2012, state shared revenue was $235,476.
Other business
In other business, the Elk Mound Village Board:
• Learned that Mark Levra, public works employee, had taken six exams toward his water and sewer certification (four sewer exams and two water exams) and had passed all six with scores of more than 90 percent.
• Learned that Well House No. 2 had suffered major roof damage during a recent wind storm and that the village’s insurance company is paying $1,200 toward the repair.
• Learned that the Elk Mound Police Department has begun using software that allows police officers to send accident reports to the Dunn County clerk of courts electronically. Submitting the crash reports that way will save trips to the clerk of courts office, said Travis Hakes, Elk Mound police chief.
• Learned that the village board positions filled by Creaser-Kipp, Schrantz and Wenzel will be up for election next April. Candidates for the trustee positions can begin distributing their nomination papers on December 1 and must have them turned in by 5 p.m. on January 7.
• Learned that rough plumbing has been completed on the library building, the concrete floor is poured and crews are beginning to block up exterior openings with cement blocks.
• Learned that cross connection inspections on public authority properties (schools and churches) and commercial properties is coming along according to schedule and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
• Learned that an additional 2,000 feet of sewer mains had been cleaned and that two large sections of roots had been removed. One of the roots, if it had completely blocked off the sewer main, would have resulted in sewer back-ups in 30 houses, said Terry Stamm, director of public works. Elk Mound has a total of 29,000 feet of sewer main, the equivalent of 5.5 miles.
