The Paddock Lake Village Board approved a total tax levy of $1,577,110 for next year, which is 2.8 percent higher than the current year.
About 1 percent of that increase is in the general tax levy while the remaining increase will g to bond payments over the next year.
Much of that bonding is to pay for extensive road overhauls the village undertook about five years ago, said Trustee Joe Riesselmann.
Trustee Terry Burns was the only vote against the budget and levy. During a public hearing on the budget, Burns said he had the goal of having a budget that would have required no increase in the general tax levy.
“That’s what I was hoping to do this year,” Burns said.
But other board members defended the budget as having been carefully scrutinized for savings and resulting in a modest increase in the levy.
“I think it’s very reasonable and frugal,” Riesselman said.
Village President Marlene Goodson added that holding the budget any tighter might have caused the village to dip into reserves next year.
“We don’t want to take it out of our savings,” Goodson said.
