Preliminary Budget

Our preliminary annual budget of nearly thirty-two thousand dollars via tax revenue is based on benchmarking years of expenses related to the maintenance and preservation of our natural ecosystem, primarily costs related to harvesting invasive aquatic vegetation (like Eurasian milfoil and curlyleaf pondweed). Our budget envisions us owning and operating our own aquatic harvesting equipment such that we can get out ahead of the proliferation of invasive species every year moving forward, based on the approved aquatic plant management plan from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). As you might notice in the information below, this year 1 budget gives us some "wiggle room" in the form of over $14,000 in cash reserves available for future TBD expenses. As is typical for first year lake districts, the initial budget is developed in good faith, and we will adjust the details moving forward as we learn more about the realities of being good stewards for our beloved Lake Wandawega.

Approximately $11,000 will be dedicated to the permits, plans and reports needed for chemical treatments, an aquatic plant management (APM) survey, a related report, and other permits, as needed.

Approximately $9000 will be earmarked toward aquatic vegetation harvesting. (In the good old days we simply called this “weed cutting” but our friends at the DNR have helped us understand it’s a lot more nuanced than that.) This includes the rental of harvester equipment including a dumpster to temporarily store removed organic matter, and payroll expense for the labor necessary to operate the harvester. Please note, the budget for labor is fluid, pending the amount of volunteer labor provided by engaged community members.

We also have around $4,200 dedicated to random but necessary expenses for things like legal fees, office supplies, taxes and fees, P.O Box rental and postage, insurance, and start up/filing fees, etc.