Government

The cutting of a line item from the Black Earth Public Library’s board by the village was front and center at the Dec. 4 board meeting. According to Village Administrator Shellie Benish, it was due to a misunderstanding.

The Village of Mazomanie passed the 2020 municipal budget at its meeting on Nov. 26. Despite increased costs due to last year’s flood, taxes will increase by only 1.6%. A $100,000 home will see an $11 tax increase from the year before.

Before the December Arena Village Board meeting, the personal and finance committees met, followed by the annual budget hearing.

Following a nearly five-hour long meeting, the Sauk County Board of Supervisors settled on a budget of nearly $30.5 million.

The 2020 budget was passed during the board’s annual meeting last month.

Sauk City residents will be responsible for paying a $20 fee for owning and operating a registered vehicle once the village’s wheel tax is implemented mid 2020.

Faced with the difficulties of levy limits and increasing costs, the Village of Black Earth balanced their 2020 budget with cuts to public works, emergency management, and the replacement of the village hall roof. The cuts will be balanced out by borrowing for those items.

The village of Prairie du Sac is reaching out to its neighboring communities for feedback and support in strategizing preventative measures in lieu of the March 11-13, 2019 flooding in the village. Prairie du Sac Village Administrator Alan Wildman and Board President Cheryl Sherman lead the discussion during the Nov.

In the near future, the Town of Vermont plan commission will begin reviewing the community’s comprehensive plan to determine if the guidelines and rules in the document support the stated land development goals of the citizens and community.

The Village of Mazomanie will see a $275,000 increase in tax revenue thanks to an expansion to Cardinal Glass. The local businesses will add 100,000 square feet to its existing facility. This will double the size of the existing plant.

The Village of Sauk City will face a choice at their public hearing Nov. 26: accept a Wheel Tax or reject the 2020 budget. The board discussed a Wheel Tax last month, in order to balance the budget. This the first time the wheel tax will actually be presented in front of the public for a vote.