Churchville village leaders pass '03-'04 budget

The tax rate will remain the same in the village of Churchville for the eighth year in a row, after trustees unanimously passed the $2.7 million 2003-2004 budget following a public hearing at the January 6 village board meeting.

Mayor Donald R. Ehrmentraut warned that this could be the last year village officials are able to avoid a tax hike. Margins are getting smaller, he said, as the village absorbs cuts in state aid and loss of sales tax revenue, due to the slow economy.

"Next year we are going to have to see what we can do. We would love to keep it the same, but the world is changing and so is the village," Ehrmentraut said.

"I definitely feel we have an excellent village here, and our infrastructure is great. We can be proud we have not increased taxes to keep the top-notch community we have here," he said, adding, "We try to be fiscally responsible and always consider the residents' needs first."

This year's total budget is down for the second year in a row, from the $2,917,745 2002-2003 budget, to $2,730,520.

The new budget maintains the current tax rate of $2.92 per $1,000 of assessed value - it has remained the same since the 1996-1997 fiscal year. This translates to a tax bill of $292 for the owner of a village home valued at $100,000.

The total amount to be raised by taxes is up slightly, from $205,255 budgeted last year, to $208,548 this year. The increased revenue is possible due to increased assessed value of all taxable village property.

The village's general fund - which pays for everything from street maintenance, lighting and parks, to animal control, snow removal, salaries and buildings - is down for the first time this year, to $987,662 from last year's budgeted amount of $1,127,088.

The rest of the $2.7 million budget comes from self-supporting funds (water, sewer and electric funds), and from the debt service fund. Ehrmentraut said no rate hikes are planned for any utilities at this time.

More than $50,000 is budgeted for new sidewalks in the village this year, including $40,000 from the sidewalk capital reserve fund. Seventy-five to 80 percent of the sidewalks need to be replaced on Fitch Street," Department of Public Works Superintendent Dave Adams said. He said putting in new five-foot sidewalks will also require the removal of some trees on that street.

Ehrmentraut said the village will contact residents and hold pre-construction meeting to determine the best way to approach that project and possible tree replacements.

"Sidewalks are a priority to the board and the DPW staff," Ehrmentraut said. "We will be looking at all areas of the village and setting up a schedule. ... Sidewalks are very expensive."

The new budget shows anticipated revenue from sales tax down $60,000 -- from $300,000 budgeted last year, to $240,000 this year. This change reflects not only the sluggish economy but the questionable fate of the 8 percent sales tax customers pay in Monroe County.

The law authorizing the extra one percent sales tax was passed 10 years ago, and expires at the end of November. The state legislature will then decide on whether to continue the extra one percent, and who will get that money. Currently the proceeds from the extra one percent are split between the City of Rochester and Monroe County - which then splits it among the county's towns and villages.

Lawmakers could abolish the one percent, or split the proceeds differently, in which case the village could get less, or none, of the revenue. Village Clerk Sue Davis said it was this possibility which led the board to budget for less sales tax revenue. "We always budget (revenues) on the conservative side," she said.