After a public hearing at its regular monthly meeting Monday night, the Hillsboro City Council adopted the proposed 2015 budget and set a tax levy of $448,889, a .73% increase over the previous year’s levy.

The complete budget summary was published as a legal advertisement in the Oct. 30 edition of the Hillsboro Sentry Enterprise.

In another public hearing section of the meeting, a list of special charges to property tax holders was presented.

If not paid by Nov. 14,  the special charges are subject to be added to the property owners’ real estate tax bill. They include extra services handled by the City, such as removal of garbage and recycling, snow removal, lawn mowing, and inspections.

During the regular business portion of the meeting, the City Council approved a resolution that would amend the funding and voting requirements on the intergovernmental cooperation agreement of the Hillsboro Area Fire Association.

Hillsboro Mayor Greg Kubarski and the Common Council believe that the current Fire Protection Agreement is inequitable and places an unfair burden on the taxpayers of the city, and have repeatedly requested that the funding and voting structure of the agreement be amended.

The association includes the City of Hillsboro and the towns of Hillsboro, Greenwood, Forest, Union, and Wonewoc.

The City is requesting that the Fire Protection Agreement should be amended to include an equalized value formula for funding the Hillsboro Area Fire Association that will fairly distribute the financial burden of the Association. It also  should be amended to assure that the voting representation for the participating communities in the Association reflect the percentage funding based on an equalized value formula.

The City of Hillsboro set a deadline of May 1, 2015  on the amendment request. If it is not acted on, the City should begin the process of withdrawing from the Association and creating a Fire Department to service the City.

In other business, the Council approved:

• Kubarski’s appointment of Carol Jefferies to the City Development Authority.

• A 2015 contract with the Vernon County Humane Society.

• A 2015 contract with the auditing firm of Johnson and Block.

• Engineering and administration contracts with a City Development Block Grant project.

• A resolution setting 2015 user, license, and permit fees.

• A resolution pertaining to Health Reimbursement Accounts.