Town OKs budget with flat tax rate

The Town of Belgium electors and board approved the 2020 budget on Monday that carries a levy with the maximum allowable increase from the state due to new construction.

That translates to a $2,106 increase, or 0.5%, to $461,511.

But a couple of residents pointed out that the board used a higher budget number from this year than they expected.

Last November, electors approved exceeding the state-allowed levy by more than  $43,000 to help pay for a new fire truck for the Belgium Fire Department, which is contracted to do fire and rescue coverage in the town.

That bumped the levy by 10.9% to $459,405, which was used in developing the 2020 budget.

Two residents said that the town should have used the $416,000 figure before the fire truck cost was added.

“This year we expected you to roll that back,” resident Tom Petersen said, later adding that he prefers the town borrow the money next time to prevent the budget from increasing.

“I don’t think anybody, myself included, thinks that you spend the money frivolously. We’re just very concerned that you start from a spot that you said you weren’t going to last year,” he said.

“You wanted it all. You wanted the whole $45,000. We aren’t ready to accept that,” resident Don Feyereisen said.

Town Chairman Tom Winker said the increase is warranted, given other unexpected expenses.

One is an estimated $3,700 for Fredonia ambulance service, which starting in January will charge $150 per call. It had not charged the town anything.

Another is the town assessor’s contract that went up $1,700.

Election costs went up to $8,500 from $2,500 because there will potentially be four elections in 2020, compared to two this year, and more training is required.

But Town Hall expenses fell by $15,800, since the building is now paid off.

A new cost coming in next year is slated to be $12,800 for recycling due to the trade war. The town now pays nothing. A representative from Advanced Disposal is slated to come to the December Town Board meeting.

The total budget is $642,535, up by more than $18,000 from this year.

Electors approved the budget, 20-1. Feyereisen voted against.

The roads budget is $379,530, up $54,830. The town will identify projects at its spring road inspection, but it plans on applying for a state grant to do overlay on two miles of Jay Road from highways KW to B.

The grant has the state paying 90% for the project and the town paying 10%.

“It’s almost foolish if you don’t apply for it,” Winker said.

The money would come from a $29 million pool. Winker said he may be chosen to be a member of the 12-person committee to select projects, but he may not vote on Belgium’s proposal.

In the future, Winker said he would like to pave the recycling center, something residents have asked him about. He said it would be at least a two-year project.

Supr. Tom Bichler, in charge of the center, suggested months ago that the project wait until the Town Hall is paid off.

“I think that’s very prudent and good long-range planning,” Winker said.

The roads budget was approved, 20-1. Feyereisen voted against. The Town Board approved the budget, 3-0.

The tax rate remains at $1.60 per $1,000 of assessed value. That means the owner of at $200,000 home would pay $320 on December’s tax bill.