Waukesha County Budget Passes, With Muskego Road Project Dollars In Tact

The Waukesha County Board met Tuesday, adopting County Executive Dan Vrakas' proposed 2012 budget on a 20-3 vote. (Spvrs. Cummings, Brandtjen and Supervisor Robert Hutton opposed. Absent for the vote were Spvrs. Michael Inda and Muskego's Peter Gundrum.)

Among the county's capital projects approved is $21 million for the continuing multiyear reconstruction of Janesville Road (County Highway L), which is one of the largest projects for the county.

Here's a brief run down of what's in the budget:

• There is a general tax levy of $98 million, up 0.6%, the lowest increase in nearly 30 years.
• The tax rate is $2.01 per $1,000 fair market value, up 4 cents. For a median value home in the county of $255,600, county taxes would be $514, which is about the same as last year, although property values were higher then by county estimates.
• The county share of the tax bill is among the smaller portions, with municipal and school taxes making up a bigger share.
• The county lost $2.75 million in state aid, however it realized $2.45 million in savings from county employees now being required to contribute half their pension costs offset a large portion of that.
• A a motion by Supervisor Janel Brandtjen failed 4-19 to reverse Vrakas' decision to close the girls' secure detention unit.  The county will contract for that service with Washington County next year and invest the $200,000 saving into the Health and Human Services Department budget, offseting cuts in state aid.
• The budget eliminates 18.7 full-time equivalent positions for a $1 million savings; half of those will require layoffs.
• The 2012 operations budget is $244.7 million, down 1.4% from 2011.
• Capital projects costing $39.9 million are double last year's amount; $10.4 million of cash on hand will be used to keep tax support even.
• Nontax revenues total $163.2 million, up 6%.
• Taxpayers in communities without libraries will pay $2.9 million, or 1% more, toward the federated library system.