Removing Footnotes and Calculating Budgets

Welcome to the Notes from the Grove, providing Liberty Grove residents and visitors tid bits of information about goings on in town government.

• As of Oct. 13, the town crew had cleaned up downed trees as far as the Town Hall and are proceeding into the southern portion of the town.

• Plan Commission has voted to advise the Town Board that the acquisition of the Grand View property for public use is a favorable concept, with the commission continuing to monitor and advise pursuant to ordinance 1-02. Also recommended that the Town Board remove footnote #5 from Sec. 2.05(3)(a) of the Door Co. Zoning Ordinance. This footnote prohibits vegetable and cheese-processing plants in Heartland zoned areas in Liberty Grove. The Commission felt this prohibition is strange considering the history of the town as an agricultural area.

• The Town Assessor has completed his revaluation and notices have been sent to property owners. The town had been valued at less than the state requirement. State Statutes require property assessments be kept at 90 percent or more of what the Department of Revenue determines is the value of property within a municipality. The result of the revaluation means most property owners will see an increase in the value of their property. How this affects their property taxes is determined by the mil rate, which will be set at the Special Town Meeting. Administrator Kalms has informed the Board that preliminary calculations show that with the current assessed value of the town, the mil rate would be about $1.43/$1,000 valuation (town portion only). This compares to $2.01 last year. This will change with adjustments made by the Board of Review – reductions will mean an increase in the mil rate.

• The Finance Committee has been meeting to review the budget requests from the various committees. The board has set Nov. 14 for a Budget Hearing and Special Town Meeting to set the tax levy for 2012. It will begin at 6 pm in the Town Hall. Immediately following, a Special Board Meeting will be held to adopt the 2012 budget.