MINOCQUA – Minocqua property owners will see a slightly higher tax rate for town operations and debt payments after electors approved a nearly $4 million levy at Thursday’s annual town meeting.
A handful of electors joined town supervisors and other officials in unanimously approving a $3,958,854 levy to support next year’s budget of $5,748,480, up by about a quarter million dollars. Last year’s levy was $3,877,422 to support the 2019 budget of $5,500,452. Minocqua’s tax rate will be $2.62 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Last year’s rate was $2.59.
The town’s assessed valuation was pegged at $1.508 billion, up from last year’s $1.497 billion figure.
For property valued at $100,000 the tax bill from Minocqua will be $262. Minocqua property owners will also see a special assessment of about $35 on this coming year’s tax bill to pay for address signs installed this fall. Along with Minocqua, other real estate taxing bodies are Oneida County, Lakeland Union High School District, Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk School District, Nicolet VTAE District and the state of Wisconsin.
Those living in the Lakeland Sanitary District or the Bear Lake District also pay an additional levy.
According to the budget outline, the various levies add up to a tax rate of $11.03 per $1,000 of assessed valuation (before the state tax credit is applied). The town’s levy pays for a wide range of services, including police and fire protection, roads and parks, library and general government, as well as outlays for Winter Park and Nordic Center, snowmobile trails, Lakeland Senior Center, lake protection association, and the Lakeland Hawks Ice Arena. Nearly a million dollars will be used to help pay off various loans taken out over the past several years, including purchases of a fire truck, road sweeper, other equipment and for road repair.
During the budget hearing, accountant Jocelyn Seeliger of Peterson Metz went over the budget, summarizing key points. The town’s debt obligations total roughly $7.5 million, about a tenth of its borrowing capacity. Supervisors used $58,000 from reserves to balance the budget, which they approved following the special town meeting.
