The Village of Shorewood incorporated as a municipality, breaking from the City of Milwaukee in the early 1900's to form as a Village because residents wanted paved streets, streetlights, sewer and water.
Much of this infrastructure now requires reconstruction that has resulted in additional pressure to increase costs to be financed. The Village's current landscape must be re-aligned to help navigate the culmination of 1) safety concerns, 2) limited resources, 3) funded mandates from the DNR, and 4) collaboration on improvements by other units of government. Here is a review of the large items impacting the annual budget process moving forward:
- Lead service line replacement and water main reconstruction - $44 million
- Public Works Building - $23 million
- Streetlight System Replacement - $17.4 million
- Southeast Area Combined Sewer Projects - $18.6 million
- Lake Drive Reconstruction - $2.6 million
- N. Oakland Avenue Pavement Replacement - $6.6 million
- Village Resource Capacity Considerations
- Service Considerations
- Competitive Employee Marketplace
Click here to learn more about the above budget impacts.
What Does This Mean for the 2025 Budget and Beyond?
A resulting byproduct of this reality is the usual 2% or less property tax levy increase by the Village to fund current services and planned projects will be impacted by these projects and any new initiatives. The resulting possible choices being a shift or delay in the project landscape or an increase in the property tax levy during a time the Village is facing an increase in utility rates to finance project upgrades as required by the state DNR. A reevaluation of service levels with a focus on defining core services is a necessary discussion item.
The Village's operational budget is limited by state requirements on what can be included and funded to meet statutory compliance. Next week, I will be sharing options the Village Board has to select from to finalize the 2025 budget. The discussion does not end with the completion of the budget, as impacts will increase annually moving forward. We are determined to review the options, listen to our residents and make the best decisions possible to move Shorewood forward in 2025.
Do you have questions regarding these projects? Feel free to contact Village Manager Rebecca Ewald at rewald@shorewoodwi.gov or 414.847.2701.