Greenfield city budget could include nearly 2% tax hike

Greenfield - A proposed 2013 city budget that calls for a 1.98 percent property tax levy increase will start moving through the Common Council review process.

Mayor Michael Neitzke unveiled his proposed 2013 budget last week before a special meeting of the Finance and Human Resources Committee.

The committee had planned to start discussing the proposed budget Wednesday. A public hearing is anticipated for Nov. 20, with Common Council approval that same night.

The total proposed budget is $43,465,330, nearly 14 percent higher than the $38,144,160 budget for 2012. The increase is due mainly to road projects, the mayor told the committee.

The proposed levy is $21,834,243 which is $424,917 higher than this year's levy, for a proposed 1.98 percent increase.

Of the nearly $43.5 million proposed budget for all spending, $24.4 million would be for the general fund, considered the city's operating budget.

That is proposed to rise 2.69 percent to a total of $24,404,556, or $639,422 more than the 2012 spending plan for operations.

State aid will be up 3.24 percent bringing $104,000 more into the city's coffers. But debt service will be up nearly three times that at $280,983 for a 9.8 percent hike. Total debt service will be $3,152,096.

Neitzke was not immediately available for comment.

- Jane Ford-Stewart