For the second straight year, Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg is proposing a property tax rate cut.
The 2024 proposed budget lowers the total levy for the city from .302918 to .275740, an 8.97% rate cut for 2024. This brings a total levy decrease of 15% over the last two years.
In 2021-22, the cities portion of the taxes for a home valued at $150,000 was $489. Because of the lower levy over the last two years, the proposed budget proposal will decrease it to $414 – a savings of $75.
“I have listened closely to what Fremont residents have been sharing with me,” Spellerberg said. “Fremont residents are very concerned about increasing costs due to record inflation, increasing gas prices, and escalating food costs. As our property tax base grows,
my focus continues to be on controlling our spending and maintaining our strong financial position. This budget reduces the levy and still accomplishes our major initiatives within the city.”
The 2023 certified property taxable value for the city, imposed for 2024 increased from $2,434,347,972, compared to $2,093,841,092 for the previous year, a 16.3 percent increase.
This budget includes major public safety facility improvements including a new police station and engineering for two new fire stations. Funding for these projects will come from a mixture of general fund reserves, sales tax reserves, and municipal improvement bonds which will pledge future sales tax receipts collected for the purposes of public safety to pay back the bonds. This method of financing will have no impact on property taxes and allow the City to move forward quickly on these important projects.
The mayor’s proposal includes adding two additional police officers in 2024 and a community service officer in 2025. It also proposes adding an assistant fire chief in addition to the six firefighter’s positions added during the last budget cycle.
“Public safety remains our top priority. In addition to wage increases, these facility improvements will help us attract and retain our dedicated first responders,”Spellerberg said. “It’s worth the investment.”
The biannual budget includes a record $47 Million in projects to improve streets, infrastructure, facilities, and drainage within the city, with many of these projects receiving state or federal grants to offset the costs to the taxpayer. These highlights include:
• Broad Street Reconstruction
• 23rd Street Signal Repairs
• 1st Street Overlay – Main to Clarmar
• Street Department and Fleet Maintenance Building
• Airport Runway Reconstruction
• Railroad Quiet Zones
• 19th Street Share the Road
• Open Ditch Rehabilitation
• Johnson Lake Expansion Project
• Railroad and Clarmar Construction
“This budget makes significant investments in maintaining and improving our roadways, drainage, and critical infrastructure within the City of Fremont,” the mayor said. “You expect efficient and safe roadways, and this budget makes record investments to set
up our community for the future.”
Along with investments in public safety and roads, Spellerberg’s budget proposes key projects to advance the great quality of life in Fremont. This includes public transportation, downtown revitalization, library, parks and recreation, and trails. Many of
these projects have received state, federal, and private dollars to help offset the costs to the taxpayer. These highlights include:
• Fremont Transit Program
• Completion of the Keene Memorial Library Expansion and Renovation Project
• Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad (FEVR) Rails to Trails
• Splash Pad at Clemmons Park
• Resurface Van Anda Tennis Courts for Pickleball Courts
• John C Fremont Amphitheater
• Multiple New Park Restrooms
• Downtown Archways and Parking Lot Improvements
“As Fremont continues to grow, it is important that we provide excellent amenities and quality of life,” Spellerberg said. “These improvements benefit all citizens and bring that sense of place to our hometown.”
In the Fremont Department of Utilities, key investments are budgeted to keep up with increasing demand and system reliability. This includes adding additional transformers to keep up with increasing electrical demand, developing a horizontal well at the wellfield, and
engineering to add an additional peak shaving plant to keep up with natural gas demand.
“The Fremont Department of Utilities continues to be one of the best run utilities in the state,” the mayor said. We continue to pride ourselves on delivering cost effective and efficient power, water, and gas to our over 15,000 customers. This budget accomplishes that.”
