Sturgeon Bay Superintendent Dan Tjernagel says they tried being as transparent as they could be throughout the referendum process that reared its head on property tax bills this month. The district’s levy rose approximately 19 percent over last year, which meant an extra $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed value for district homeowners. That is actually down from the $1.47 that was originally projected by district officials at the end of last year heading into the spring election. It still pushes the mill rate to $11.69 per $1,000.  Tjernagel says the anticipated reaction is why they tried to “overcommunicate” as much as they could over the last few months to prepare people for their tax bill this winter.

Tjernagel says many of the conversations he has had in the community has been more about the reassessment of property in the city and how it coincided with the passage of the referendum. The $16.84 million referendum approved by voters in April is helping fund an addition at Sawyer Elementary School and improvements at Sunrise Elementary School and Sturgeon Bay High School.