The Silver Lake Village Board passed a tax levy for 2014 that includes a 1.46 percent increase over 2013.
The levy for 2014 will be $1,050,151. The 2013 tax levy was $1,034,984.
The levy passed by a unanimous vote at a special Village Board meeting Wednesday. Trustee Mike Decker was absent.
With no revaluation in Silver Lake this year, most properties will have seen no change to their assessed value. If your assessment is the same, the effect on your village taxes will likely be an increase of about 1.46 percent.
Also at the special meeting, the board approved an approximately 2 percent pay increase for village office workers and public works employees. The building inspector also is receiving an increase called for in his employment contract. Those moves were approved 4 to 1 with Trustee Patrick Dunn voting against.
After the meeting, Dunn said he felt the time was not right for an increase for village employees, especially since they received an increase last year as well, due to the tightness of the village budget.
Note: Bruce Francart contributed to this report. — DH
Thank Mr. Dunn, for your vote. Now that it is done, please continue to push for shared service, and also elimaniting the building inspector’s job. It is no longer needed. Salem has two that can fill the need. Also, why is Mike Dunn missing so many meetings? I get the need to work, but if you can’t fullfill your position, time for you to move on. Remember this voters!
Well, once again, Mike Decker absent! And despite hacking the fire department budget to near death, our taxes will STILL go up! Go figure. My instinct is that the SLFD budget cuts merely “greased the skids” for Fire & Rescue to merge with Salem Fire & Rescue. I think that is imminent, despite Sue’s intent to drag it out as long as she can. I think our village would be much better off if we disbanded and were taken over by the Town of Salem. I believe our taxes would decease and our level of services(not just Fire & Rescue!)would increase. What’s not to like?
Bernie, What’s it going to take to dissolve the village, (what’s in for me) government?
It will take a board with the courage and conviction to do what is right for the citizenry. I think they are there now….the initial stages are in the works. Once all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and the citizens are presented with all the FACTS…not just EMOTIONAL RHETORIC….I think it’s a forgone conclusion we will dissolve the village and merge with Salem.