Funding for a proposed new music festival was reduced and a move to increase the mayor's salary was rejected as Green Bay aldermen set a 2015 city budget that lowers property taxes more than $1 million.
The budget will increase city spending nearly $4 million, up to $105.6 million, by restoring firefighter staff cuts and boosting spending elsewhere.
But property taxes will remain virtually unchanged for most residents, with collections citywide dipping $1.1 million, down to $52.4 million.
Aldermen also cut spending for new police squad cars, public works equipment, a contingency fund and a new attorney to advise the City Council on legislative issues.
A performer entertains at the Mile of Music festival in Appleton, which is the inspiration for a proposed new summer festival in Green Bay. (Photo: File/Gannett Wisconsin Media )
Mayor Jim Schmitt and others applauded the spending plan, which the council approved unanimously Wednesday after more than three hours of deliberations.
'It really maintains what we want it to do,' Schmitt said of the budget.
The city's current budget is $101.7 million, with property taxes totaling $53.5 million.
With a proposal that initially called for higher taxes, aldermen took several steps to curtail spending and hold the line on taxes. A growing tax base will allow the city to lower its property tax rate from $8.86 to $8.85 per $1,000 of property value.
The owner of a $100,000 home will pay $885 in taxes to the city.
The plan includes increased debt payments, a 2 percent employee pay raise, a new downtown bus route and other initiatives.
Aldermen David Nennig raised some eyebrows by proposing that the mayor's salary also should be increased 2 percent, which would boost the mayor's salary next year from $82,535 to $84,185. Nennig proposed a 2 percent increase in each of the next four years.
The proposal, Nennig said, had nothing to do personally with Schmitt, who is seeking re-election next April. The salary has not been increased in five years, and many other Wisconsin cities pay their mayors much more, he said.
'Let's put politics aside for a minute and do what's fair,' Nennig said.
But the proposal was voted down 9-3, with many aldermen saying that it should be studied further.
The council also trimmed funding for a proposed new summer music festival from $50,000 to $30,000, after several questioned whether the city should make such a sizable investment in a new event.
Schmitt had proposed $50,000 to help organizers get started with an event they hope to launch next summer. Inspired by the successful Mile of Music festival in Appleton, organizers aim to create a weekend-long attraction that would be put Green Bay on the summer festival map.
'We want to make this truly a unique Green Bay festival,' said Alderman Mark Steuer, a member of the organizing group.
Some aldermen wanted to cut city funding for the effort to $10,000, but the $30,000 figure was approved as a compromise measure.
Other cuts included $100,000 from a general contingency fund, down to $210,000, as well as an estimated $160,000 for two police squad cars, a fire battalion chief's car and a crane for public works.
One area where aldermen increased spending was in staffing for the Green Bay Metro Fire Department. Schmitt had proposed eliminating six firefighter positions by adjusting how vacations are scheduled. But the council rejected that approach and added $500,000 to the budget to maintain those firefighter positions.
Aldermen also added $147,501 to the parks department to increase tree trimming efforts throughout the city.
Funding was restored to hire a fourth attorney in the city attorney's office, after the council voted down a proposal to instead hire an attorney strictly to advise aldermen on legislative matters. The issue sparked a heated debate about whether aldermen should distrust the guidance coming from the city attorney's office.
Alderman Guy Zima urged hiring a separate attorney for the council, saying that the city attorney's office is too closely aligned with the mayor on issues where there is disagreement.
'You don't go to your opponent's attorney to ask for advice,' Zima said. 'You ask your own.'
The proposal was rejected by an 8-4 vote, with other aldermen arguing that the city attorney's office represents the entire city and that there is no reason to create an atmosphere of divisiveness.
Said Alderman Tom Sladek of the city attorney's staff: 'They've always given me good, straight answers.'
- swilliams@pressgazettemedia.com and follow him on Twitter @pgscottwilliams.
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