Budget and Financing

Budget and Financing

Budget

The Lake District board of commissioners is responsible for the preparation of the proposed annual budget. The electors and property owners may propose, consider and vote on amendments before approving the budget at the annual meeting. The Beaver Dam Lake District will operate on a calendar year budget.

Copies of the budget:

Approved Budget for 2025
To provide lake districts with the financial resources they need, the Legislature has authorized a wide variety of funding mechanisms, including general property tax, special charges and assessments, saving and borrowing, grants and gifts. The two main funding options are “special charges” (imposed on tax parcels regardless of their assessed value) and general property tax which would be levied on parcels based on their assessed value. Special charges are often used by districts where lake district services will similarly benefit properties of widely varying value.

Certain activities, like aquatic plant harvesting, provide both general community benefit and special benefits to specific property owners. In these cases, some lake districts finance these activities using a combination of a general tax levy and a special charge on benefited properties.

In addition to funding by taxation grants can be used to fund various projects including educational programs & materials, research, planning and implementing projects. The majority of grants for lake districts are from the WI Dept of Natural Resources but also from other governmental sources and private sources including foundations and educational institutions.

Financial Statements