As most of you are undoubtedly aware, the village has initiated two infrastructure-related capital projects: the waste water treatment (sewer) plant and a water meter replacement program. The present estimates put the former at about $15 million and the latter around $500,000. On top of those projects, the village board hired a consultant to look at our water and sewer rates, which cover the everyday operations of the water and sewer systems. Unfortunately, neither system is fiscally healthy. Moreover, there are other issues impacting both systems which we have not even addressed but will have to be corrected in the not too distant future. The bottom line is, these two infrastructure systems are in serious need of significant investment; that can only be achieved by raising rates.
Why is all of this coming due now? The waste water treatment plant is well past its life expectancy. Plants are usually built for a 30-year life. Ours dates back to 1972. It has been patched and band-aided now for far too long. It has become inefficient, and the Department of Environmental Conservation has put the village on notice. We cannot afford to delay the inevitable. As for the water meters, the system is old and many of the meters need replacing. That would not be a big issue in and of itself, except that the manual read heads are no longer being manufactured and the stockpile is being exhausted quickly. We have to change. We have opted to go to a radio-read, drive-by system which will allow the entire system to be read in one or two days as opposed to a couple weeks, thus making the process more efficient in man hours. The new system will also be very accurate as well as effective at identifying problems with the meters and the system, thus producing further efficiencies. While the bills will be eye-opening, the village will be better off over the long haul. More specific information will be forthcoming over the next month or two.
On the good-and-bad side of things, it is budget time for the village. As with most every municipality, money is tight, and on top of that the 2 percent tax cap has put more constraints on the board. Unlike several other area communities, the village of Dansville will not be overriding the tax cap, meaning we will have to work within the parameters of the tax cap law of not raising the tax levy more than 2 percent over last year’s amount. I am not at the point yet of being able to tell you how that is going to impact the budget. However, I have to present the preliminary budget to the board by March 20.
As most of you are undoubtedly aware, the village has initiated two infrastructure-related capital projects: the waste water treatment (sewer) plant and a water meter replacement program. The present estimates put the former at about $15 million and the latter around $500,000. On top of those projects, the village board hired a consultant to look at our water and sewer rates, which cover the everyday operations of the water and sewer systems. Unfortunately, neither system is fiscally healthy. Moreover, there are other issues impacting both systems which we have not even addressed but will have to be corrected in the not too distant future. The bottom line is, these two infrastructure systems are in serious need of significant investment; that can only be achieved by raising rates.
Why is all of this coming due now? The waste water treatment plant is well past its life expectancy. Plants are usually built for a 30-year life. Ours dates back to 1972. It has been patched and band-aided now for far too long. It has become inefficient, and the Department of Environmental Conservation has put the village on notice. We cannot afford to delay the inevitable. As for the water meters, the system is old and many of the meters need replacing. That would not be a big issue in and of itself, except that the manual read heads are no longer being manufactured and the stockpile is being exhausted quickly. We have to change. We have opted to go to a radio-read, drive-by system which will allow the entire system to be read in one or two days as opposed to a couple weeks, thus making the process more efficient in man hours. The new system will also be very accurate as well as effective at identifying problems with the meters and the system, thus producing further efficiencies. While the bills will be eye-opening, the village will be better off over the long haul. More specific information will be forthcoming over the next month or two.
On the good-and-bad side of things, it is budget time for the village. As with most every municipality, money is tight, and on top of that the 2 percent tax cap has put more constraints on the board. Unlike several other area communities, the village of Dansville will not be overriding the tax cap, meaning we will have to work within the parameters of the tax cap law of not raising the tax levy more than 2 percent over last year’s amount. I am not at the point yet of being able to tell you how that is going to impact the budget. However, I have to present the preliminary budget to the board by March 20.
The good part of the budget story is that there should not be any major tax hike (if any hike at all). On the other side of the ledger, there could be some much-needed work and programs which will go underfunded or unfunded. Citizens need to be prepared for that possibility. Remember, water and sewer costs are going to rise. For the most part, the money for those systems comes from the same pot that pays the village’s taxes. We have to live within our ability to pay. Despite the need for other things, we will have to draw a line.
The answer to our fiscal woes is growth, but decline has been the rule for several decades now. Economic recovery appears to be taking place nationally; it will take time to trickle down to rural communities like Dansville. On the other hand, we can take steps to pull ourselves up. We are searching every avenue to bring in grants. I ask each of you to let us know if one comes to your attention. Currently, we are in the process of applying for one that we learned about from a local businesswoman. We need more of that.
Finally, making our community attractive is a big draw to people. It is a quality of life issue. I would love to see a major sidewalk improvement program, but the village cannot do it all on its own. We will look at a shared project similar to previous years. Standby for more information. In the meanwhile, I ask each property owner (and renters) to take pride in your property. Not having a lot of money does not mean people cannot keep their property clean and attractive. Showing people we care about what we have sends the message that our community has pride. Others will want to be a part of that.
Till next time, God bless and show your community pride.
