Net mill rate drops seven cents to $24.17 per $1,000 in equalized property value

Meeting November 23 in its regular bi-monthly meeting, the City of Prescott Common Council voted to approve the Prescott 2021 General Fund Budget in the amount of $2,900,442. Motion was made by Josh Gergen and seconded by Bailey Ruona to approve Resolution 19-20 adopting the general fund budget, the motions passing without a negative voice vote. Separate motions were then used to adopt the Prescott debt service, enterprise funds, and special revenue fund budgets, along with the salary schedule for city employees. Prescott Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Beth Lansing explained things prior to the flurry of motions.

“So basically for this year from last year we’re not seeing a flood of changes,” Lansing told the council as she outlined each part of the 2021 budget. “Our property tax did increase a little bit, but overall the budget saw a decrease,” with a similar decrease in the mill rate, Lansing shared. The city mill rate for Prescott had decreased by 21 cents from $7.40 to $7.19 per $1,000 for the 2021 budget, while the overall net mill rate when taking all taxing jurisdictions into account went down as well for 2021, falling seven cents to $24.17 per $1,000 in equalized property value.

City garbage services were up but had been offset by expenditures, Lansing said, while the city had made cuts to fund work at Freedom Park in the coming new year. Debt service was also down,” Lansing said to the council.

Regarding a breakdown of the numbers from the 2021 proposed budget compared to the 2020 estimated final number, net revenues balanced out net expenditures at $129,522. For revenues, the biggest increase came in public charges for service, with a $72,019 increase from the previous year to $429,850 for 2021. Miscellaneous revenues went down by $6,600 for the biggest revenue decrease taken as an individual line item.

For expenditures, meanwhile, the biggest difference came in public works spending, which saw a jump of $91,329 in budgeted funds for the upcoming year. The biggest decrease, in contrast, came in the City’s contingency fund, decreased by $24,307 for the 2021 budget. The 2021 Prescott city budget can be seen in more detail by going to www. prescottwi.org and clicking on “Agenda and Minutes” under “Your Government,” then going to the city council meeting packet for November 23, viewable in PDF.

Prescott High School musicians performed at the Prescott Holiday Marketplace Saturday to the delight of the crowd. Photos by John McLoone.