OBSERVER Photo Pictured is the Fredonia Village Hall.

Colors are black and orange at the Fredonia Central School District, but it’s just one shade over at Village Hall: Deep red.

It’s the crimson of a 2023-24 general fund with a negative balance of $888,275, not quite the maroon of Dunkirk’s Marauders (which is actually an appropriate color for Dunkirk City Hall’s own problems).

Village Treasurer Erlyssa LeBeau bluntly laid out the bad news at Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting. She said the general fund’s balance was some $918,099 less than the same time a year ago. Meanwhile, expenses were up $687,281 from last year’s figure.

“With this being said, our fund balance is very close to being wiped out,” LeBeau said. “We saw a drop in the sales tax revenue, utility bill tax, franchise fees, and on-street parking. The ambulance revenue, although up from last year (by) $81,000, was still $275,000 short of the budgeted amount.” There was also a $33,000 increase in attorney fees, she added.

“Most expenses fell into what was budgeted. Our shortfall really comes down to not bringing in the revenue that was budgeted,” the treasurer continued. “For the current 2024-25 budget, we are going to have to make some hard budget adjustments if we do not bring in the revenue we anticipate.”