City of Wauwatosa Budget: Development Department, Library, And Debt Service

Press release from the City of Wauwatosa:

October 19, 2020

We are in the process of developing the operating and capital budgets. Our operating budget represents day-to-day expenses, wages, utilities, and purchases of items intended to last less than a year. The capital budget includes infrastructure, city property, and long-term equipment purchases.

Below are highlights and proposed budget changes from the Development Department, Library, and Debt Service. You can submit public comment online.

Development Department

Highlights

• Continue coordination of and communication about Tosa Restarts Temporary Regulatory Relief Program
• Staff will continue to work on Strategic Plan goals: Property Value, Public Spaces, Transportation, Well Maintained Infrastructure
• Continue to work with the School District on the construction of the McKinley and Wilson elementary schools and other 2020 School District Capitol projects

Proposed budget changes for 2021

• Implementation of an administrative fee of $100 for forced property maintenance compliance. The fee is intended to offset costs associated with contractor management and invoicing.
• $12,000 in general transportation aids and the sale of a $10,000 liquor license was added to the Bike/Ped budget to fund Bublr operations to offset the $12,000 that was previously funded by Tourism (funds no longer available due to the impacts of COVD-19 on hotel/motel taxes collected).

Library

2020 Highlights

• Increased professional development opportunities for library staff
• Continue updating workspaces for children’s librarians, administrative assistant, and circulation staff

Proposed budget changes for 2021

• The Library Board’s budget request includes $14,000 to update staff office furniture. This is the third year of a multi-year project to provide staff workspaces as designed for modern needs and requirements.

Debt Service

Proposed budget changes for 2021

• Transfer from general fund increased 19%. The transfer from the general fund increase of $925,208 to $5,736,683 is due to increased debt service as well as a reduction of interest earnings which causes the Amortization Fund transfer to decrease $604,000 to $1,213,000.

This press release was produced by the City of Wauwatosa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.