Oconto Falls’ bond offering to fund playground, beach and sewer projects

OCONTO FALLS – With about $2 million in general obligation bonds approved for 2025, the City of Oconto Falls’ plans for capital improvements are moving forward, while the City Council kept the total property tax levy to a 2% increase in 2025 by making some cuts, including to holiday decoration spending.

At its Nov. 12 meeting, the council approved a $3.06 million budget for 2025, including a 7% boost in general expenditures to $1.1 million.

The $1.57 million total tax levy for 2025 includes a 5.4% increase in the general fund levy to $1.0 million, a 3.8% increase in the debt service fund levy to $507,889, and a 53% decrease in the capital projects fund levy to $32,809 from 2024, according to the 2025 approved budget. The city has also budgeted a 65% increase in state shared tax revenues to $45,770.

The city’s goal was to hold the line on property taxes, said City Administrator Peter Wills. “That’s always one of our goals. There are always costs, but we try to find ways to keep it manageable and keep it affordable to own property in Oconto Falls,” he said.

A new $130,000 playground is in store for Memorial Field, and new bathrooms at $120,000 will be constructed at Westside Beach, Wills said. A $50,000 grant is listed on the budget as new revenue for parks and recreation stems from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds obtained through the county, he added.

Other parks and recreation expenses are budgeted for a 39% increase to $35,500 from $25,600 in 2024, with $6,250 in beach wages and $3,000 in supervisor wages accounting for the increase.

The big bill — at $2.8 million — is for the Columbia Street water, sewer and storm water improvement project. A Community Development Block Grant will provide $1 million for the project, while a bond will cover most of the cost, Wills said.

The council approved the issuance of about $2 million in general obligation bonds propelling its Capital Projects Fund revenues by 1,316% to $3.2 million, including the Community Block Development Grant, the city said.

The Columbia Street project involves new sewer, water and storm water infrastructure and a new lift station, which collects wastewater from multiple streets and pumps it from Columbia Street to treatment facility near the river, Wills said. The utility also is applying for Safe Water Grants from the State of Wisconsin for the project, he said.

General fund expenditures are slated to fall 3% to $881,664 in 2025 from the $909,482 budgeted in 2024 and actual 2024 expenditures of about $953,892.

Among the cuts is a 43% decrease in spending on city hall building maintenance to $4,000 from $7,000 budgeted in 2024. The budget for purchases of new holiday was brought down to $200 from $2,500 in 2024, while wages related to holiday decorations are set to increase 3% to $1,694.

Expenditures related to city sidewalk repair are budgeted to decrease $10,500.

A 70% increase in city council expenses to $8,000 from $4,700 in 2024 was approved, along with a 167% increase in expenditures for the city attorney to $12,000. At the request of library employees, the library is budgeted to receive a $15,000 increase in revenue to $90,000. Council wages are staying flat at $22,100, according to the approved budget.

During a discussion of how to market commercial development of the industrial park located off route 22 and East Highland Ave., the city council discussed creating a brochure with aerial photos of the area providing better mapping. About 15 acres are available, while companies such as McDermid Warehousing and ST Paper have facilities on the rest.

The council approved a request for a new survey of the area developers might be interested in either for new multifamily housing or an industrial park. “You’re always trying to attract development, but there are expenditures to make that happen,” Wills said.

A railroad exists near the site, providing an advantage to companies needing transportation, according to Wills.

“When our industrial park was laid out with a grant in 2024, it was a $1.5 million expenditure on rail to put the railway in there. If we put in residential development, the investment of that rail isn’t being utilized,” Wills said.

The city wants to add more residential housing and is looking for 20 acres in another location for this, Wills said, but the relatively small size of the project and its distance from the interstate has made it difficult to find realtors and brokers interested in marketing it.

“We’d still like to do the residential development, but we would like to find any other property that would work in lieu of the industrial park,” he said. “If we couldn’t find the property anywhere else, we’d consider it.”

In immediate capital outlays for 2025, improvements to Columbia Street are budgeted at $1.64 million, street replacement and resurfacing expenditures are budgeted at $300,000, and crack filling expenditures are expected to cost $50,000, up $45,000 from $5,000 in 2024. The Columbia Street project is expected to take over 12 months to complete.

Purchases of streets equipment are budgeted at $475,000, up from $28,500 in 2024.

Other planned 2025 allocations of capital project funds include $46,000 for a police vehicle and equipment, $92,000 for fire department outlay, $50,000 storm sewer projects and $1,500 for boat launch improvements. The city is purchasing a Dodge Charger for a school resource officer, with a cost of about half a fully loaded Ford Explorer, he said.

Recycling curbside expenses are set to increase 155% to $62,540 from $24,503, while garbage collection expenses are budgeted for a 14% increase to about $120,000 from about $105,000.