For several months, I’ve been blogging about Franklin school spending.
I was the lone voice against the outrageous $78-million referenda.
I have also been outspoken about the Franklin School Board’s intention to increase the school tax levy by 5.6% and have been joined in my opposition by bloggers Fred Keller and Bryan Maersch.
Now we must also focus our attention on city of Franklin spending.
Mayor Tom Taylor has submitted his budget proposal to the Franklin Common Council. Taylor’s budget calls for a 5.7% increase in the city tax levy.
Mayor Taylor is my friend. I consider him to be a good, decent, honorable man. However, an increase of 5.7% in the city tax levy is unacceptable. It is now up to Franklin aldermen to do the heavy lifting and find ways to make the city budget far more reasonable for Franklin taxpayers who are getting beat up over and over and over again.
Remember, last November, city of Franklin officials were far from fiscally responsible when they approved a budget with a 5.3% increase in the tax levy and a 9% increase in spending. The argument was that it could have been a lot worse. That’s hardly reassuring to already taxed -to -the -max Franklin residents.
As I wrote in one of my first blogs in late January:
“The citizens of Franklin are blessed to have devoted representatives working on their behalf. Mayor Tom Taylor and the entire Common Council are to be commended for their efforts. More municipalities in the tax hell we call Wisconsin should follow the lead of Franklin in exercising fiscal responsibility.
However, we can do even better. A spending increase next year of 9% with a tax levy increase of over 5%, I feel, is a bit unfortunate. The counter argument of, “Franklin: Our tax increase could have been higher,” just wouldn’t look good on a bumper sticker or a Chamber of Commerce ad. I challenge my friends at City Hall to use their talents to tighten the reins even further. Doing so will help retain and recruit more jobs, and prevent more gifted taxpayers from putting up the For Sale signs. I would issue the same challenge to members of the Franklin School Board. Wisconsin has the highest property taxes in the nation. The people who pay the bills deserve a break.”That break doesn’t appear to be coming if the tax levy increase is going to be even greater in this budget.
You’ll recall in my 5-part series in August on the top 5 Franklin issues,
TAXES was #1.Don’t our local officials get it?
I encourage you to respectfully
contact your Alderman and urge him to support a city budget that sets a tax levy increase at or below the rate of inflation. A tax levy increase of 5.7%, as advocated by the Mayor, is far too high and unacceptable.
The fiscal prospects for Franklin are starting to look grim.
In the next several months, you could witness:
A) A huge school tax increase
B) Another request for a huge tax increase via school referendum
C) A huge city tax increaseUnless you speak out, you’re going to get taken to the cleaners.
FRANKLIN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PLANNING A 5.6% INCREASE IN THE SCHOOL TAX LEVY, AND ANOTHER HUGE REFERENDUM. CONTACT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS NOW TO TELL THEM YOU OPPOSE BIG TAX INCREASES!
