NOTICE OF REFERENDUM

TOWN OF LINCOLN

November 2, 2010

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that at an election to be held in the Town of
Lincoln, on November 2, 2010, the following proposed Resolution of the
Town of Lincoln Board, will be submitted to a vote of the people:
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Town Board of the Town of
Lincoln, Vilas County in session on September 7th, 2010 that the
following questions will be put to the voters of the Town of Lincoln
in a referendum during the November 2010 Election.
1. The town board hereby supports an increase in the town tax levy for
2010 (to be collected in 2011) that would exceed the amount allowed by
the state levy limit by $300,000.00. The Town Board intends that the
levy increase be applied on an ongoing basis by including it in the
base to be used to calculate the limit for 2011 as well.
2. The town board directs that the question of increasing the town
tax levy for 2010 (to be collected in 2011) by 71 percent over the
past year’s levy be put to special referendum on November 2, 2010. The
levy increase will be applied on an ongoing basis.

The questions will appear on the ballot as follows:

1. Under state law, the increase in the levy of the Town of Lincoln
for the tax to be imposed in the next fiscal year, 2011, is limited to
3%, which results in a levy of $427,450.00. Shall the Town of Lincoln
be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next
fiscal year, 2011, by a total of 71%, which results in a levy of
$727,450.00?

() YES
() NO

2. If the voters approve the increase in the tax levy for 2011, in the
amount of $300,000.00, shall that amount be applied to the standard
base levy, in each successive year, on an ongoing basis?

() YES
() NO

 

EXPLANATION
The Town of Lincoln has been faced with State imposed caps of 2% to 4%
on Town Budget increases since 2005. Since that time the cost of
goods, services and supplies that the Town purchases in order to
operate have risen by much more than the Town can legally add to the
Town’s budget without going to a referendum. The Town Board has
carefully reduced spending on its budgets since the caps were imposed
but a point has been reached where there is no more room to cut
expenses. The only way to cover rising costs is to ask the voters of
Lincoln Township to approve a budget increase that exceeds the State
imposed cap.
If you vote “YES” to the referendum question you will be authorizing
the Town Board to increase its next budget by $300,000. The impact of
a “yes” vote will be an additional $0.55 per $1,000.00 of assessed
property valuation. Simply put it will mean that for a property with
an assessed valuation of $100,000.00 the Town of Lincoln portion of
the tax on the property will increase by $55.00.
If you vote “NO” to the referendum question you will be telling the
Town Board that it CANNOT increase the next budget by $300,000.00. A
“NO” vote with no places to reduce our budget will mean a
reduction in services to Town residents primarily in the form of the
maintenance of Town Roads. Snow plowing, brush trimming, sanding,
salting, patching and pothole repair will be reduced to a level that
the Town can afford to pay for at the capped budget level.
To exceed the Budget cap by $300,000.00 for successive years
If you vote “YES”
While the Town Board has no intention of exceed budget caps by
$300,000.00 in succeeding years a “YES” vote will allow the Town
Board to exceed budget caps if needed without incurring the
expense of going to another referendum. The cost of going to another
referendum could be better used to pay for Town needs.
If you vote “NO”
A “NO” vote will require the Town Board to hold a referendum the next
time rising costs exceed what the State mandated budget caps will
allow.

Done in the Town of Lincoln,
on October 22, 2010

Shelly D. Sauvola, Town Clerk/Treasurer