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2023 Budget, Tax Levy Approved in Nasewaupee

After holding a public hearing during which no one spoke, a town levy of $354,729 was approved Nov. 17 by eligible town voters who attended Nasewaupee’s special town meeting.

The town levy – a decrease of 5.77% from the previous year – is part of total revenues budgeted for 2023 and includes a fire department levy of $293,008. That’s the final fire department levy that Nasewaupee property owners will pay as being part of the Southern Door Fire Department. The fire department levy for Nasewaupee is increasing by 11.22%.

Cash reserves of $215,000 are being factored into the 2023 town budget to have total revenues and cash, as well as total expenditures, of $1,385,512 – an increase of 10.87% from the previous year.

Town clerk Jill Lau said that about $140,000 will be left in the general fund after applying $215,000 in reserves to next year’s budget.

Town chair Steve Sullivan said that the $630,000 in expenditures for fire protection and dues for 2023 – more than double the amount of the previous year – include the town buying the equipment housed in the Nasewaupee fire station so that the town can have its own department once it splits from the Southern Door Fire Department.

Sullivan said he hopes fire protection and dues will be around $200,000 annually once the town runs its own department.

“As you can see, the road budget’s a little bit lower this year to help purchase the fire department stuff,” he said. “We’ve still got maybe $160,000 left in a fund for the fire department, too.”

The town’s budgeted public-works expenditures for highways, parks and boat ramps are decreasing from $589,466 to $326,362 in 2023.

After town voters on Nov. 8 approved changing the town clerk and treasurer from elected to appointed positions, Sullivan said that for planning purposes, $20,000 was budgeted for the clerk – an increase of $4,400 – while the treasurer’s salary was kept at $10,800.

Carol Russell.

Lau and town treasurer Carol Russell, who noted she has been in that position for 52 years, have both indicated that they will be leaving those positions when their current terms in office expire next April. It will then be up to the town board to appoint their replacements and set their salaries.

Those salaries fall under the general-government line item, which is increasing by more than 50% – from $108,243 to $163,375 – in 2023.

Lau said expenditures for general government include the town board, clerk, treasurer, payroll taxes, board of review, committees, legal fees, office supplies, publishing, election expenses, assessor expenses, general building expenses, the town hall, internet service, the town website, insurance and bank charges.

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