OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Village of Cassadaga Trustee Bill Astry made the initial motion to approve the 2024-2025 Village Budget. The Cassadaga Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved the proposed Village Budget after a public hearing at a recent meeting.

CASSADAGA — With a tax decrease of 2 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, the Cassadaga Village Board of Trustees approved the 2024-2025 Village Budget at a recent meeting.

The current operating budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year held a tax rate of $3.26 per $1,000 of assessed property value, but for 2024-25, the Village knocked two cents off the figure for a rate of $3.24 per thousand. The total assessed value in the Village is $44,139,137, which is an increase of $625,459 from the previous year.

The Tax Levy Limit for the fiscal year 2025 is $146,648 in the Village. The Village’s tax levy for the 2024-25 budget represents a decrease of $1,156.25 from the previous year.

The Board also approved the prepared constitutional tax limit of $696,256.

Village Clerk Annette McChesney is paid a salary of $28,000; Department of Public Works Supervisor Sam Alaimo earns a salary of $50,788; and Department of Public Works Utility Worker Biancca Riggle earns $21 per hour as a full-time employee.

The Village Water Fund will remain at the $6.25 per 1,000 gallons figure moving forward into the next fiscal year, for an estimated revenue of $285,300 and appropriations of $314,200.50.

After approving the Budget, the Board later approved a financial statement that showed balances of $329,118.58 in the General Fund and $107,048.46 in the Water Fund as of March 31. The Water Repair Fund balance is $50,356.88.

The Fire Department Equipment Reserve Fund holds $20,962.32; the Department of Public Works Equipment Reserve Fund holds $12,480.21; and the Village’s Reserve for Debt Service Fund holds $339,270.62.

The Budget also includes an allocation of $10,000 each for the Department of Public Works and for the Cassadaga Fire Department.

The Village Board also declared itself as the lead agency for the Village’s proposed water system capital improvement project. Part 1 of a Full Environmental Assessment Form has been completed as required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act. The Village is pursuing various grant funding opportunities and hired E&B Squared Consulting and Engineering, at a cost of $20,000, to conduct an Engineering Report for the proposed multi-million dollar capital project.

Also of note, Village Trustee Danna DuBois noted a Cassadaga resident anonymously purchased and donated an AED for the Village to use for the youth baseball program. The Village will purchase AED pads at a future date. The youth baseball program has already completed its AED and CPR certifications.