Board gets OK to spend $1 million for town hall site

The Grafton Town Board received permission from electors to purchase a facility or land for a new town hall during the annual town budget hearing Wednesday, Nov. 6. 

The board approved a tax levy that includes a 1-cent increase in the tax rate for property taxes in 2020.

The $1.79 million budget requires a $1.46 million tax levy, which was presented during the hearing.

The tax rate to support 2020 town spending will be $2.41 per $1,000 of assessed property value, a 0.42% increase from last year. Total  property valuation in the town increased by 1.75% from last year.

Electors agreed to allow the board to spend as much as $1 million to purchase property or a building for a new hall.

Town Chairman Lester Bartel said the town pays $33,000 per year to rent its current facility in the village. He noted that the town has allocated $10,000 to $15,000 annually to a fund to buy a facility or build a new hall. The fund now totals $218,654. 

“The ultimate goal is to spend less than we’re spending now. We’re not in imminent need,” Bartel said. “Planning for the future is the most important thing we do.”

Bartel said the ideal hall location will have adequate parking and space to hold elections and large meetings. The town is also seeking a property that would be large enough to accommodate future growth.

Bartel said he wants the hall to provide additional amenities for residents such as recycling and yard-waste disposal.

Bartel said the board has several potential sites in mind but has not begun purchase negotiations.

Two years ago, a feasibility study on acquiring a new town hall estimated the cost of land and construction at about $1.26 million.

Also included in the 2020 budget is $380,000 for improvement projects on Cedar Sauk and Pleasant Valley roads. Bartel said the town may have to draw from contingency funds for the work.

During the meeting, electors also approved a $12,000 health-insurance stipend for the town treasurer.