Committee's Capital Improvement Recommendations Include More Road Projects

Editor's note: The Waukesha Finance Committee is also recommending to not replace a ambulance for $195,000. This story has been updated to include that budget update.

The Waukesha Finance Committee is recommending the Common Council adopt a capital improvement project budget that eliminates some projects proposed by city staff and shifting some items purchased with tax dollars over to borrowing.

The move would reduce the tax levy by $285,500, which means there would still need to be about $1.9 million more in cuts from the budget if the aldermen choose to not enact for most property owners.

The proposed borrowing in the Interim City Administrator Steve Crandell’s 2012 budget, which is supported by Mayor Jeff Scrima was $4.993 million. The Finance Committee is recommending the city obtain loans for $5.05 million in projects.

The city's budget includes paying off about $7 million in old debt.

In its recommendation, the Finance Committee cut the following projects from the budget:

• Inspector vehicle, $26,082
• Building inspection vehicle, $15,000
• Park/recreation van, $26,000
• Front end loader, $225,000
• Public Works dump truck, $157,000
• Old bus station repairs, $30,000
• Police Department parking lot, $188,000
• Hot box, $37,500
• VOIP (phone system); $53,000
• Alley reconstruction, $125,000
• Ambulance, $195,000

While the Finance Committee is recommending the above items be cut from the budget, it also is asking the Common Council add in $850,000 for major street construction projects, which brings the total of major street projects to $1.83 million

While the Finance Committee is recommending cutting $30,000 in repairs to the it is requesting that $5,000 come from the Department of Public Works budget to make minor repairs.

The Common Council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at to discuss the changes to the CIP budget. The CIP budget – not the entire city budget – is scheduled to be adopted at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday following a public hearing.

The Finance Committee has also scheduled an additional meeting about the 2012 budget at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The committee will do its final budget review and operating budget recommendations during that meeting. The budget is scheduled for final approval on Nov. 15.