---

The 2024 budget and levy for the City of Wyoming will be increasing at a rate of 6.26 percent from the 2023 levy.  The city’s property tax “rate” however is experiencing a decrease of about one percent to 37.8 percent.

The “key items” behind the need for any increase at all include:  insurance premium hikes in work comp and property insurance, there will be general election costs in 2024, there was $16,000 added into the fire department equipment fund and $15,000 is projected as additional sand salt expenditures plus the police department is incorporating a part time Community Service Officer into its budget.

The balancing act that goes into taxation and spending got a little reprieve in Wyoming,  with staff explaining the city will get a $131,000 increase in the Local Government Aid, through state appropriation.  The city’s real estate is also up in valuation, (see chart with story on county market valuation). This goes into a formula affecting the tax capacity, which means revenues can go up as the rate goes down.

Council member Linda Nanko Yeager was the lone no vote on the action for the budget and levy.  Commenting that the six percent is “a little high” she offered no explanation of what she could support.

Mayor Lisa Iverson commented that the preliminary tax estimates that go out in the mail in the fall “...can be a little scary” because the numbers are maximums in the fall.  She added she is happy where the city landed (on reducing the early proposed increase) and the council has a history of being “good stewards” of tax revenues, she concluded.

Water rates upped

In another fiscal decision, the city fees for sewer and water and for newly hooking up to sewer and water (access charges) were analyzed in a study for 2024.  

The city contracted with Erickson Northstar LLC for a rate analysis, and the only increase being recommended over the upcoming years, to maintain healthy cash flow and emergency funds, is to Wyoming water bills.

The water base fee is $43.18 and in 2025 will go to $44.69 and will be $49.55 by 2028.  The usage fee also increases annually by three and a half percent for five years, and three percent increases will be enacted annually after.  To an average residential water consumer this equals about $1 per month, staff reported.  The average city sewer and water bill is $81.18 per month currently.

Mayor Iverson noted this is the second time Wyoming has relied on this firm for the analysis and five years ago their projections were right on-target.

The citywide water meter replacements are 99 percent done, council was told. Ferguson Waterworks was contracted to do the project.

There was a discussion on amending a Conditional Use Permit for All Safe Global Industries in the industrial park, Fallbrook Avenue,  and the council ended up tabling their action and sending the permit conditions back to the planning commission to finalize wording.  

Council member Claire Luger said there seem to be distinctly different permit conditions being presented;  one from the planning commission, one recommended by staff and the applicant’s requests.  She asked for more clarity on which conditions put the site in compliance and how the various recommended permit amendments, like storage, possibly changing fence height, and accommodating semi truck parking, etc. actually impact surrounding properties.

The planning commission will have this application to amend conditions of the outdoor storage at their next meeting and council members could get the amended permit back in early January.

---