Platteville Common Council Piecing Together 2022 Budget

The Platteville Common Council is reviewing the city’s draft 2022 budget, which includes an estimated 3.4% tax increase. Council members at their most recent meeting assented to, but did not formally vote on, the estimated $18 million budget. They are expected to hold a public hearing and vote on a final budget on November 23rd. Under the proposed budget, the city’s property tax rate would increase to $8.29 per $1,000 of assessed value, meaning an owner of a $150,000 home would pay about $1,244 in city property taxes annually, a $41 increase. The exact increase could shift slightly depending on the results of property assessments and state aid. The proposed budget includes a 1% wage increase for nonunion city staff with the exception of the city manager, Adam Ruechel, whose salary will be determined in coming weeks, wage increases for recreational seasonal workers to $11 per hour and a 4% wage increase for law enforcement. Including the cost of health insurance increases, budgeted employee expenses would rise by $166,450, not including the city manager’s salary.