Mayor Justin Nickels presented his 2019 Executive Budget to the full Common Council last night. Nickels says one of the two ‘big things’ in the nearly $62 and-a-quarter million spending package includes a proposal for a $20 wheel tax on all registered vehicles in the city.
With that he mayor is recommending removing all special assessments on roads.
The wheel tax would bring in an estimated $400 thousand for road maintenance based on approximately 20 thousand registered vehicles in the city. The second “big item” is borrowing $30 million over the next four years for capital improvement projects.
The budget also includes raising the property tax seven-tenths of one percent—roughly six dollars a year—totaling $821 on a $100 thousand home which will be used to provide essential services such as police and fire. The budget also includes a creation for a “Parks Planner—four additional positions in the Department of Infrastructure—a Downtown Parking Fund and Wi-Fi capability for cabins in city parks.”
A pair of listening sessions will be held on November 14th at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. A public hearing and a vote are scheduled for Monday night November 19th at 6:30 during the monthly City Council meeting. The complete budget package can be viewed here > Published 2019 Proposed Budget