Village adjusts workers’ pay

The 2025 budget approved by the Belgium Village Board this month includes pay raises that place the village in more of a middle ground for wages rather than being on the bottom when compared to area communities.

The Finance and Personnel Committee recommended the pay bumps, and the Village Board approved them with the budget.

The committee sees how village pay stacks up come budget time each year.

“I do a study every year and provide it to the Finance and Personnel Committee,” Village Treasurer Vickie Boehnlein said.

The treasurer’s pay got the biggest increase, from $24.33 to $30 per hour. Other raises were each less than $2 per hour.

The Village of Fredonia treasurer gets $34.71 per hour. Other communities have combined clerk and treasurers whose pay ranges from $47.35 an hour in Kohler to $29.24 in the Howards Grove.

Belgium’s other hourly raises are:

• Clerk, $22.12 to $23.44 an hour.

• Administrative assistant, $18.01 to $18.73.

• Department of Public Works supervisor/water superintendent, $38.85 to $40.40.

• Wastewater superintendent, $30.34 to $31.35.

• DPW employee 1, $27.52 to $29.17.

• DPW employee 2, $27.23 to 28.86.

• DPW employee 3, $22.89 to $23.87.

The wage increases totaled just more than $30,000, from $457,000 to $488,000.

“In terms of numbers compared to the whole budget, it’s not a huge number,” Boehnlein said.

The committee’s debate over pay was held in closed session.

“What discussion they had I don’t know,” Boehnlein said.

The 2025 tax rate is $5.37 per $100,000 of assessed value, down from $7.29 last year, but Boehnlein said the village’s property revaluation should be taken into account. Owners of homes that increased in value may pay similar amounts despite the lower rate.