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Janesville City Council to adopt budget Monday

JANESVILLE — Residents will get a shorter swimming season if proposed budget cuts to the 2009 budget are approved on Monday.

The cuts and revenue changes made by the council will save the resident of the average home about $10.

Other changes include a fee at the senior center and a reduction in the Tallman House subsidy.

The public can comment on the 2009 budget at the council meeting beginning at 7 p.m. Monday in City Hall, 18 N. Jackson St.

The cuts were proposed during long and difficult council budget discussions. Members had hoped to present a zero percent tax rate increase to residents but came up short.

According to the latest figures, the new tax rate would be $8.17 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The owner of the average home assessed at $113,300 would pay $823 for city services, an increase of $13, or 1.6 percent.

That same homeowner would have paid about $23 more before the council made its proposed cuts. That $23 is a new number because the state made a typographical error in assessed value information it had given the city. Published figures in the original budget showed the average homeowner paying $21.22 more.

Based on projections for all taxing jurisdictions, the owner of the average assessed home of $113,300 would pay $2,845, or an increase of about $45. Those jurisdictions include the Janesville School District, Rock County, Blackhawk Technical College and the state.

The council in its budget discussions agreed not to cut city personnel and also to impact services as little as possible. But because personnel is where the real costs are, members were kept to fairly minor reductions in training, conferences and supplies. Any staff savings were realized with vacant positions.

The saving grace for the council has been the recent sharp decline in oil prices, something not anticipated when the budget was first presented. Acting City Manager Jay Winzenz was since able to cut $100,000 from the general fund.

The reductions totaled $295,996.

Under the proposed cuts, Rockport Pool, Lions Beach and Riverside Wading Pool would open Saturday, June 6, and close Sunday, Aug. 16, rather than Aug. 23.

Palmer Wading Pool would open the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and close on Sunday, Aug. 30, rather than Monday, Sept. 7. In addition, wading pool hours would be reduced by one hour, opening at 11 a.m. but closing at 7 p.m. rather than 8 p.m.

The cut of $26,597 in the Tallman House subsidy has caused the most public comment so far, and several members of the historical society have urged the council to reconsider the decision.

The library tax rate increased about 2 percent to $0.90-per-thousand-dollars of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a typical Janesville home assessed at $113,300 will pay $103 for library services, or an increase of $2.

Proposed budget cuts

The Janesville City Council proposed these cuts to the 2009 budget:

-- Council memberships and subscriptions, $2,214.

-- Printing and postage for community listening sessions, $5,250.

-- City assessor training, $3,500.

-- Not filling a vacant position in the assessor’s office, salary and fringe benefits, $33,056.

-- Auditing and consulting in the city attorney’s office, $2,968.

-- Outside legal services, $4,322.

-- Clerk-treasurer training, $500.

-- Leaving an administrative services position vacant for several months, $17,490.

-- Human resources training, $7,000.

-- Advertising, $500.

-- Fire personnel clothing, $3,100.

-- Property maintenance photos and supplies, $300.

-- Lower fuel costs, $100,000.

-- Tallman House subsidy, $26,597.

-- Training in the recreation department, $1,000.

-- Training and conferences for the community and economic development department, $2,300.

-- Photography in the community and economic development department, $1,400.

-- Contracted services in the community and economic development department, $5,000.

-- Reduction in a bus route, $7,180.

-- Fewer community newsletters, $18,135.

-- Reducing in Palmer Park Wading Pool hours by an hour a day, $1,650.

-- Closing Rockport Pool, Lions Beach and Riverside Park Wading Pool a week early: $10,125.

-- Closing the Palmer Park Wading Pool one week early, $2,350.

Proposed fee increases:

-- Senior center user fee revenue, $20,000.

-- Fee increases in leisure services programs, $19,059.

Total reduction: $295,996.

Janesville City Budget

A look at the 2009 budget for Janesville:

Total budget

Next year $41.62 million

This year $40.63 million

Increase 2.4%

Tax levy

(With library and TIF)

Next year $28.45 million

This year $27.40 million

Increase 3.8%

Tax rate

(Per $1,000 of assessed valuation, with TIF)

Next year $8.17

This year $8.04

Increase 1.6%

Note: Percent changes calculated on whole numbers.

If you go

The Janesville City Council will adopt the 2009 budget at a meeting beginning at 7 p.m. Monday in City Hall, 18 N. Jackson St.

A public hearing will precede the vote.