sustaining Ozaukee’s value proposition

“.. the residents of Ozaukee County are better off because of your efforts on this project… this park's preservation benefits the greater community”.

-Aaron Armstrong, Mee-Kwon Meadows organizer

It’s no secret that a key reason to settle in Ozaukee County is low taxes, relative to the benefits that living here provides. County supervisors are charged with keeping this ‘equation’ balanced.

This is my top responsibility. And as a County Board, we have delivered over the past 6 years.

RESULT: Over the past 6 years, the county tax levy is down, while county services and park amenities have objectively increased.. The average homeowner has a smaller county property tax burden than they did in 2019—admittedly, not by a lot—and that positive trend is accelerating. I’d like to keep that going.

How has this happened? There’s little question that fate was kind with a favorable economic climate, but it also required sound oversight and a high quality management staff, which included:

• Frugal bottom-line management to maintain our AAA bond rating, which allowed…

• Smart refinancing of pre-existing debt to lower the county’s debt service burden.

• Required efficiencies from county departments, supported by….

• A developing performance metric/management approach that focuses effort on driving the important metrics in the right direction

• A methodical capital improvement process that allows the most important improvements, like cream, to rise to the top.

• Aggressive grant acquisition to improve county functions without incurring a tax drag.

• Award-winning financial accounting and transparency.