State Budget delay results in levy increase in CF

SATURDAY OCTOBER 6, 2007
Last modified: Friday, October 5, 2007 10:35 PM CDT

Budget squabble may mean 10.2 percent hike in school tax levy

By ROD STETZER rod.stetzer@lee.net

It shouldn't be this way. The Chippewa Falls School District is
experiencing rising enrollment and increased tax aid.

If things were normal, the school district's tax levy should fall by
4.73 percent making for a levy of $16.1 million.

"We're looking at a very, very good situation here and, miraculously,
it's a bad situation," said Chad Trowbridge, business manager for the
Chippewa Falls School District.

That's because the state Legislature hasn't passed a state budget, a
task lawmakers were supposed to do by July 1.

The result?

"We're looking at this huge levy increase," Trowbridge said.

To be exact, a 10.26 percent tax levy increase, or a tax levy of $18.7 million.

That translates into a $110 increase in school taxes on the property
tax bill of the owner of a $100,000 home.

"It's really a sad situation," Trowbridge said.

According to numbers from the state Department of Administration, the
district is losing out on $452,448 in state aid because the budget has
not been passed.

It's not alone. Here's the DOA numbers on the state aid gap for other
districts in Chippewa County: Bloomer, $89,416; Cadott, $53,843;
Cornell, $29,974; Lake Holcombe, $24; New Auburn, $23; and
Stanley-Boyd, $58,070.

State law says the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has to
certify state aid to local districts by Oct. 15.

DPI Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster set a Sept. 28 deadline for
legislators to determine funding levels.

Because that didn't happen, Burmaster is allowing school districts to
raise property taxes to cover the missing state aid.

"We have to turn around and look at a 10.2 percent tax increase
because they haven't settled their budget talk," Trowbridge said.

The district's preliminary budget will be published in Sunday's The
Chippewa Herald. The school board is scheduled to hold a hearing and
vote on the budget on Monday, Oct. 22.

Trowbridge said it's too late for the district to make budget cuts,
because it has to make personnel commitments in March.

School district are supposed to report their tax levies to the state
in early November. Trowbridge said it's possible the state Legislature
could push that deadline back.

"Then it means the municipalities have a week less to do their
computations and get those (property tax) bills out to the taxpayers,"
he said.

If the budget is approved after the school certifies its tax levy,
Trowbridge said, "I don't believe we'd get the (state) aids."