County approves budget that reduces debt, cuts tax levy, rate

Ozaukee County supervisors last week unanimously approved a 2021 budget that reduces the property tax levy, reduces debt and lowers the tax rate for homeowners.

The 2021 budget lowers the levy by 1.84% to $21.7 million, down $405,900 from 2020.

The tax rate will drop about 11 cents, from $1.70 to $1.59 per $1,000 equalized valuation.

That means the owner of a $250,000 home will see a tax bill about $14.28 lower than last year, the county estimates.

The assessed tax rate, which appears on property tax bills in December, will vary from community to community. 

Homeowners in areas without libraries will pay an additional 27 cents per $1,000 valuation.

Spending in 2021 will total $93.4 million,  a 4.2% increase, with non-levy revenues of $71.5 million, up 5.48%.

The budget includes a 2% wage increase on Jan. 1 for non-union county employees and a 0.5% increase on July 1.

Health insurance costs are expected to rise an average of 3%.

The county is allowed under the state’s levy limits to increase its tax levy for 2021 by $280,000, the value of net new construction.

County Administrator Jason Dzwinel did not include that in the 2021 budget, however.

The budget also estimates sales tax collections to be between $8.99 million and $9.18 million in 2021. 

The 2020 budget estimated sales taxes to total $9.1 million this year. Officials recently said they expect that number to be surpassed, despite the coronavirus’ effect on the economy.

The budget also calls for reducing the debt levy by $380,000 by transferring reserves from the Public Health and Human Services departments to make a final payment on a debt due to expire in 2021. 

Despite the transfer, Dzwinel said the financial reserves of the two departments remain healthy with more than $1.1 million in Public Health and $1.97 million in Human Services at the end of 2019.

Capital projects in the 2021 budget include spending $400,000 to upgrade technology in the county courtrooms at the Justice Center.