Mayor Seeks Budget Cuts

starting May 1 will undergo final revisions after a public hearing at Monday’s Village Board meeting before a final vote by the Board of Trustees April 16.

Finance Direct Robert Fialkowski introduced the proposed $56,625,057 blueprint of the Village’s fiscal plan indicating it represented a two tenths of one percent increase over the last fiscal year. He has concerns over sales tax revenue.

“There is a lot of . We’re keeping our fingers crossed,” Fialkowski said. Nevertheless, he believes the Village will meet its projections. “The budget is balanced by the receipt of revenue and projected fund transfers.”

After Fialkowski finished his presentation, which included an increase in user fees for both water and sewer services as well as waste hauling, Mayor Harriet Rosenthal asked for a .

 “We made it clear we would do this,” Rosenthal said. “If we ask staff to go back and look at the budget we could get rid of that $85,000 and not add it to the burden of what we’re doing. The impact on property taxes is going to be felt for the next several years.”

In addition to the property tax hike to pay for the water treatment plant, Village residents will pay more for water, sewer and waste hauling. The water rate will go from $3.70 to $3.76 per 100 cubic feet while the sewer price will to up to $2.86 per hundred cubic feet to from its current $2.60 level.

Though these rates increased a year ago, according to Fialkowski, these services are provided on a breakeven basis. The higher rates are necessary to maintain service.

Waste hauling has not increased in at least 11 years, according to Fialkowski. The residential curbside rate goes from $6.50 to $6.66 while residents of multiple dwelling units will pay $2.00 per unit rather than $1.95.

The waste hauling fees are for basic service. “People will have to contact the waste hauler for special services,” Fialkowski said. The individual will pay for that service.