Residents in the town of Spruce, with a 14-12 vote, agreed to raise taxes to the state-imposed levy limit for 2015, despite the Town Board’s requests for additional funds.
The Town Board proposed an increase in the tax levy of 9 percent, from $130,654 in 2014 to $142,965 in 2015, seeking taxpayers’ approval at a town meeting on Friday. The increase would amount to $9 more for property valued at $100,000, according to information provided by the town.
Residents, however, voted to raise the levy by $970, less than 1 percent, approving a levy of $131,624. This was $11,341 less than town leaders had requested to cover higher 2015 costs for legal expenses, the ambulance service and winter road maintenance.
A tax rate has not been determined.
Following the town meeting, the Town Board met to adopt a budget, agreeing to use $10,000 from its highway fund to pay legal fees. In 2013, the town lost an open records lawsuit filed by James Webster and took out a loan in 2014 to pay the $57,000 settlement. Its 2015 payment of $10,000 is due in March.
The town has taken money from the highway maintenance fund for the past few years to pay expenses. The practice was something town leaders wanted to avoid in 2015, so they asked residents to approve a tax rate above the levy limit instead.
“A few years ago we had about $200,000, and we’ve whittled out of that ever since,” said Town Chairman Terry Brazeau, in a telephone interview after the meeting. The proposed budget for town road maintenance for 2015 is $130,815.
Town resident Mary Marks recommended the Town Board use a $50,000 certificate of deposit to sidestep a tax increase.
“My question or suggestion is rather than increasing the levy of taxes, can’t we take $10,000 off the $50,000 and table this until the annual meeting?” she asked.
Supervisor Fred Witt was opposed to the idea.
“We got nailed this year with a $15,000 additional bill for ambulance services that wasn’t budgeted,” Witt said. “Taxes have to go up.”
Ambulance fees jumped from $18,000 in 2013 to $31,700 in 2014 and 2015 after Oconto Falls Area Ambulance Service hired employees to bolster its all-volunteer department. Spruce is one of the owners of the ambulance service.
The town plans to explore options for emergency services. Spruce contracts with the Suring Fire Department for nine sections of the town and the Lena Fire Department for 27 sections.
“We can try to cut the budget that way,” Brazeau said.
Treasurer Sally Witt urged residents to approve the 9 percent tax increase, saying it was a one-time adjustment.
“This year you pay higher taxes, but the next year it won’t change,” she said. Still, residents were against an increase.
Friday’s budget adoption occurred after a series of setbacks. On Oct. 21, a proposed budget that increased taxes by 23 percent, or $30,000, was defeated with a 16-16 tie. On Nov. 18, the budget meeting was adjourned because a meeting notice listed an incorrect increase in the levy.
On Friday, the meeting was delayed when the expenditures were missing from the handouts available to the public. The meeting restarted after the printing of expenditures was completed and revised budget information was distributed.
The town was also without its town clerk, Trina Paitl, who submitted her resignation Nov. 18, due to obligations at another job. The resignation was set to take effect Dec. 31, but in an e-mail to Brazeau last week, she indicated the resignation would be effective immediately.
County Clerk Kim Pytleski was the legal stand-in as clerk for the budget meeting, serving at no charge to the town.
Town leaders are scheduled to interview three individuals interested in filling the remaining term, which expires in April. Brazeau said the town will advertise for the position if it is not filled after the interview process.
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