There will be a special meeting of the New Berlin Common Council Tuesday at 7:00pm to discuss and possibly vote to schedule a public hearing for the 2008 City budget. Mayor Chiovatero was instructed to revise his budget to a point in line with the Council instructions to keep the 2008 levy at a Zero or a low increase., compared to the 2007 levy. The budget proposed by the Mayor would increase the tax rate by more than 10%.
The 10% increase is higher than the increases sought last year. The 2007 rate was up more than 5% from 2006. This may have been the reason that several alderman lost their elections April 2007.
The 10% increase does not contain any funds for any rebuilding of Calhoun Road, Sidewalks, side paths or Bike Trails which supporters call "Alternate Transportation". The Alternate Transportation Committee projects some 45 miles of these trails at unknown costs which some say are $25,000,000
The Board of Public works has projected road rebuilding in the
future of some $45,000,000. It is time to prioritize our tax revenue to
what we need and what some would like to have.
NBCRG hopes that Aldermen will say no to this massive increase in the Levy. Remember that there are no decreases in the departmental budgets, there is just less of an increase than department heads would like to have,
