Shorewood’s $7M budget

Taxpayers: Use Your Voice

Why is city budget relevant to you? Every penny spent, whether on paper clips or a snow plow, comes from your fees and taxes. The budget is the city’s financial plan for anticipated expenses over the next fiscal year. As a taxpayer, your participation in the budget process can influence the outcome.

Background: The budget is developed by staff prior to two council work sessions, (August 12 and September 9). In 2024, the council is expected to adopt the 2025 preliminary budget and property tax levy at its September 23 regular meeting.

Where it gets interesting:

The City website says: “The City accepts resident input and reviews and adopts its annual budget through an open and public process.”

This sounds inclusive. The reality of the “public process” is this: If you have questions or comments on the budget, the mayor has a stern set of rules that leave little space for taxpayer public participation:

Work sessions: The public is not allowed to comment.
Regular city council meetings: Public comment is restricted to three minutes (with a timer) at Matters from the Floor which happens before the actual budget is discussed on the agenda. At each meeting, the mayor reads her 3-minute strict rule and will advise the constituent that “your time is nearly up.” Her rule reads, in part:

“… No discussion or action will be taken by the Council on this matter…”

Simply put, you have three minutes to state your case. Your questions will not be answered. Unless your words arouse the curiosity of at least one of the five council members, there will be no response.

When do residents have their say? The schedule currently says residents can comment at the December Truth in Taxation Hearing. This hearing is held after the budget has been approved.

Don’t give up! Questioning the council publicly is critical to public understanding, learning community priorities, and very importantly, how council members respond to, and respect, the questions being asked. It’s called “transparency” and “accountability.” Taxpayers must insist on this.