A few extra weeks of pouring over countless figures paid off for the Herkimer Village Board of Trustees, which was able to keep the village’s current tax rate the same.
After the board approved a tentative budget, which carried a one percent rate increase, on April 14, the board vowed to keep working to try and get rid of any tax rate increase.
The extra work paid off when the final 2008-09 fiscal year budget was accepted last Tuesday, which was slightly different than the tentative budget accepted on April 14.
The board was able to rid the village of any increase through hard work said Mayor Mark Ainsworth.
“We just re-examined (the budget),” said Ainsworth. “When we started really looking at bills and estimated revenues for the tentative (budget), we were able to adjusted it.”
The final budget has revenues and appropriations of $5,782,108.
Ainsworth said costs for the village are up but because assessment went up, the board was able to keep the tax rate the same.
He said the board went through each line on the budget and examined what each department would generate and spend and tried to determine if revenues could be raised.
“We’re very cautious of what we spend,” said Ainsworth.
Ainsworth previously said the budget is similar to the current budget and doesn’t have any special projects besides some set aside funds for Steuben Road Bridge.
The bridge has been red-flagged by the state Department of Transportation earlier this year. Now vehicles over five tons are prohibited from utilizing the bridge.
As part of the village’s Small Cities application, the village added the Steuben Road Bridge to the project that includes the hydraulic canal.
The bridge would be removed and replaced with a culvert under the proposal, which would cost around $170,000.
As a precaution in case the village doesn’t receive the grant, money was put in the budget.