NOTICE OF REFERENDUM
TOWN OF HARMONY, ROCK COUNTY
NOVEMBER 6, 2012
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that at an election to be held in the Town of Harmony, Rock County on November 6, 2012 the following proposed Resolution of the County Board, Town Board will be submitted to a vote of the people:
TOWN OF HARMONY
RESOLUTION NO. 82712
A RESOLUTION TO EXCEED THE LEVY INCREASE LIMIT UNDER WIS. STAT. § 66.0602.
RECITALS
A. The State of Wisconsin has placed levy limits on towns, villages, cities, and counties under s. 66.0602 of Wisconsin Statutes;
B. Wis. Stat. § 66.0602 limits the local levy to a percentage increase of no more than the greater of either a) 0% increase over the maximum allowable levy based on the state's levy limit law or b) a percentage equal to the percent change in equalized value due to net new construction;
C. The Town Board of the Town of Harmony believes it is in the Town’s interest to exceed the state levy limit as described above by a greater percentage than the amount otherwise allowed, in that the cost of repairing and maintaining Town roads has dramatically increased;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED as follows:
1. The Town Board hereby supports an increase in the Town tax levy for 2012 (to be collected in 2013) that would exceed the amount otherwise allowed by the state levy limit by $100,000, or 52.1%, on an ongoing basis.
2. The Town Board directs that the following referendum question be directed to the voters of the Town of Harmony at the election scheduled for November 6, 2012:
“Under state law, the increase in the levy of the Town of Harmony for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2013, is limited to 0 %, which results in a levy of $192,068. Shall the Town of Harmony be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2013, by a total of 52.1 % ($100,000) over the 2012 levy, which results in a base levy of up to $292,068 for 2013 and future years?"
The question will appear on the ballot as follows:
“Under state law, the increase in the levy of the Town of Harmony for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2013, is limited to 0 %, which results in a levy of $192,068. Shall the Town of Harmony be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2013, by a total of 52.1 % ($100,000) over the 2012 levy, which results in a base levy of up to $292,068 for 2013 and future years?"
EXPLANATION
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU VOTE……..
YES?…..You are voting for a total Town tax levy increase of $100,000 over the 2012 levy, and for the tax levy base to be established at that increased amount for future years. If the referendum passes, your property tax bill will increase from the 2012 rate in the approximate sum of $52 per $100,000 of value of your property. The Town Board intends to use the additional funds to repair and maintain the Town roads.
NO?…… You are voting against increasing the Town tax levy by $100,000. If the referendum fails, the Town Board will likely have insufficient funds to maintain the paving of Town roads at an acceptable level, due to increased maintenance costs.
Done in the Town of Harmony
On November 1, 2012
Lisa Tollefson, Town Clerk