During a Monday, October 26 meeting, Pleasant Prairie staff presented the proposed 2016 budget to the Village Board. The budget, as presented, proposes an increase in the municipal tax levy to $11,024,953 in 2016 from $10,081,081 in 2015. The municipal tax levy is the dollar amount to be collected through the property tax in order to cover expenses for providing municipal services in the community.

"While we're proposing an increase in the Village tax levy, the Village has experienced 3.9% growth in new construction over the past year," explained Michael Pollocoff, Village Administrator. "The mill rate will change from $4.42 to $4.64. The impact on the median home in the Village will be about $42, and with that increase, the Village plans to bolster road improvements and public safety personnel."

Under the proposed budget, the Village portion of the property tax bill for a median assessed home in Pleasant Prairie is expected to increase by 4.96% or approximately $42. Pleasant Prairie receives approximately 20% of a resident's total property tax payment. For a median valued home in the Village ($191,600), this will equate to approximately $889 during 2016.

In the 2016 budget, staff has proposed: to increase funding by 33% for road paving and improvements from $1 million to $1.6 million; to fund two additional police officers to manage increasing call volume; and to fund additional part-time hours for the Fire & Rescue Department. Proposed large capital expenditures include a new ladder truck to replace a 1988 vehicle and the addition of a storage building at the Prange Municipal Center to allow for indoor storage of all public works equipment.

"As a municipal government, our work is to provide services to our citizens," explained Pollocoff. "Our goal is to keep our community resilient and able to confidently face the future and all of its uncertainty as it arises. We aim to achieve this with high quality staff and by ensuring that new development will add value to the Village."

A hearing related to the 2016 budget has been planned for Monday, November 16 at 6:00 p.m. at Pleasant Prairie Village Hall (9915 39th Avenue). Information related to the 2016 proposed budget as presented at the October 26 meeting is available at PleasantPrairieOnline.com by selecting "October 26 2015 Village Board e-packet".