OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen The Brocton Village Board approved the 2024-25 budget. Pictured is Brocton Mayor Craig Miller, left, and Village Trustee Drew Ransom, right.

BROCTON — The village adopted its 2024-25 budget at a recent meeting, which shows a tax rate of $9.81 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

In the approved budget, the General Fund is allocated $853,792; the Water Fund is allocated $314,669; the Sewer Fund is allocated $467,000; and the Electrical Fund is allocated $1,064,006. Overall, the four funds total $2,699,467.

The village will raise $264,708 through taxes, which will be reflected in the General Fund. An additional $150,000 will be allocated to the General Fund from the unexpended fund balance. The Tax Cap limit for the Village this upcoming year was $274,111.

The Electrical Fund shows expected revenue of $959,700, an increase of $17,350 from the previous budget. The unexpended fund balance has decreased by $68,294 from the previously budgeted amount, from $172,600 to $104,306.

Both the Water Fund and the Sewer Fund are budgeted for the same amount as their estimated revenues for the upcoming year without any money allocated from unexpended fund balance.

After a drastic decrease from $11.03 per thousand in 2017-2018 down to $9.59 per thousand in 2018-2019, the Village has gradually increased the tax rate year by year.

The Tax Rate in the previous budget was $9.79 per thousand, and now raises slightly by just over two cents per thousand.

Employees of the Village across departments will each receive a 4% raise as part of the approved budget.

Total fire protection costs show a $4,000 increase from the previous budget, from $71,550 to $75,550, while Fire Equipment has increased by $70,000 from the previous budget, from $40,000 to $110,000.

Transportation costs have increased by $6,000 from the previous budget, from $242,050 to $248,050.

The Village has also allocated $40,000 to capital project funds, of which no money was allocated to in the previous budget.

The Village Board passed the necessary resolutions pertaining to the Village Budget at a recent meeting. Trustee Ed Bellando initially objected to the Village Board proceeding, without Trustee Kari Doino in attendance, as Trustee Bryan Woleben and Mayor Craig Miller each serve as members of the Brocton Volunteer Fire Department.

Village Attorney Peter Clark stated that as long as the Village discloses which members of the Board are members of the Fire Department, he sees no issue with their involvement with the vote. The Board eventually passed the budget with all present members voting in its favor.