Politics & Government

Village Board: Property Taxes to Increase by At Least $143

2011-12 budget shows increases to permits, recreation/park fees and fines; largest cuts are to senior services.

The village board unveiled its tentative $38.9 million budget for 2011-12 on Tuesday — a 4.3 percent increase over the current budget —  and property taxes are expected to go up by about $143. That tax increase could be more for some homeowners, as the aforementioned increase applies to residents who will pay roughly $7,760 in property taxes in fiscal year 2012.

The new real estate tax rate will be $39.47 per $100 of the net assessed value, an increase of 4.89 percent above the current real estate tax. The tax rate is the lowest its been since 2006.

According to village comptroller Michael Schussheim, parking permit fees, park and recreation fees and fines will all increase to help raise revenue, as the village will have to contribute more to retirement funds and health insurance premiums. Schussheim explained that health insurance premiums have risen by 12 percent, and that the village's payments into its employee retirement funds will also go up next year. He added that the increase in fees and fines will generate around $4.4 million for the village.

Find out what's happening in Rockville Centrewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"This is what we're facing," Schussheim said of having to raise certain fees and fines to offset mandated increases in other areas. "This was not easy at all."

Park and recreations fees will increase by 16 percent, while licenses will go up by 14 percent and building permits by 4 percent.

Find out what's happening in Rockville Centrewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The steepest cuts outlined in the tentative budget were in overall equipment, which decreased in nearly every village department by an average of 25 percent, and in senior services. Services at the Sandel Senior Center would be cut by 12 percent, or nearly $72,000 in the proposed budget.

The cut would impact the number of programs the center could run by about half, and it would lose 50 percent of its part-time staff as well. Full-time staff, however, wouldn't lose any positions. To know more on the cuts to the Sandel Center, .

Schussheim said he was faced with tough decisions when deciding on where cuts had to be made. He said he did not want the tax rate to be more than 5 percent, and he couldn't reduce police and fire budgets, considering they are already fairly lean. "This was not easy," he said of cuts to senior services. "This was particularly difficult for me to include cuts to senior services. We were left with no good options."

He added that if possible, funding to the Senior Center could be restored in the future.

The board must adopt its 2011-12 budget by May 1.


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