While taxes will remain relatively flat and spending will only see a slight bump in 2013, the tax rate will increase on the village portion of the 2013 tax bill.

But because the overall property valuages in the village decreased and individual housing assessment dropped an average of 15 percent, homeowners should see little impact on their tax bills. 

The mill rate for the village’s general fund increased by $0.88 per $1,000 assessed value to $5.61 per $1,000, or just over 18.5 percent. This means a home valued at $250,000 in 2011 paid $1,182 on the village portion of their tax bill. However, that same home in 2012 would have lost value and would be worth $212,500. And, at the new tax rate, the homeowner would pay $1,192, a difference of about $10.

The Village Board voted 6 to 0 to approve the $12.9 million budget. Village trustee Tom Weatherston was not at the Village Board meeting.

“There are a number of positive developments in regard to the budget,” said Mark Janiuk, the village administrator. “We appear to be experiencing increased building activity. This is reflected in the projected increase in fees for building permits and related permits.”

The proposed 2013 levy is $13.2 million, an increase of $55,983, or 0.42 percent, over the 2012 levy. The budget includes the village operations, two storm sewer districts, and the sewer and water utility. The budget used exclusively for the village operations is $12.9 million and the general fund levy is $9.406 million, a $3,000 decrease over the 2012 budget of $9.409 million.

One major change is the capital improvement projects budget, which is increasing by more than 50 percent. That budget was set at $945,000 in 2012, and contains $1.5 million in the 2013 budget proposal. The biggest increases are $466,000 for building improvements for the fire department, up from $52,500 in 2012, and the highway department upped spending to $892,000 in 2013, compared to $699,500 in 2012.

Fire chief Dick Roeder told the village finance committee in September that he needed to upgrade the sprinkler system and air conditioner in station 10, but the budgeted amount represents 50 percent of the cost of the project because the village of Mount Pleasant is paying the other half of the cost since both communities own the building.

The board did approve a 10 percent wage increase to Jim Svoboda, who oversees Mount Pleasant-Caledonia Joint Park, marking his first possible pay increase in nearly 10 years.