BEACHWOOD – The Borough Council introduced a 2017 budget that showed a smaller overall budget but an increase in taxes.
The proposed total budget will be $10,629,047.63, a decrease of $222,975.13 from 2016’s final budget of $10,852,022.76.
The amount to be raised in taxes will be $7,048,074.63, an increase of $95,762.22 from 2016’s $6,952,312.41
The tax rate will be 87.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. It is an increase of about .9 cents from 2016’s 86.5 cents.
On a home valued at the township’s average of $203,300, the increase would be $18.29 a year, from $1,758.55 to $1,776.84.
“The biggest challenge is keeping up with the roads and infrastructure,” Mayor Ron Roma said. The streets in town have a repair schedule based on how badly they need work. Usually, it is not just repaving. There is often water or sewer work that also has to be done. So, all the work is done at the same time.
Additionally, the borough has a commitment to funding equipment for the volunteer squads, or municipal vehicles like a garbage truck, he added. There is also the rising costs of insurance that has to be dealt with.
On the plus side, this past winter was mild without much snow removal costs, he said.
