Pecatonica Village Board reviews Committee findings

By Chris Johnson

Reporter

PECATONICA – On Tuesday, March 15, the Pecatonica Village Board will review the findings, released through Committee, to determine how broke the Village will be, in the next fiscal year, figuratively speaking.

The figures they are working with come, as the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year Budget becomes closer to realization.

Preparations for a possible, two to three percent decrease in State-Supported revenue have already been made, as budgets continue to be amended.

In simple terms, if a governmental entity, working with a $250,000 budget, wishes to continue operating at the previous season’s rate, they will have to do so with around $5,000 less per year, at a two-percent less revenue flow.

It may not seem like a lot, but in reality, a part-time police officer, making 15 dollars an hour, could be added to the regular patrol schedule in the Village, for a period lasting, almost completely through the summer, at around 28 hours a week, during peak periods.

The estimated loss of $5,000 dollars could also have been used to upgrade office equipment, or to assure computer technology and ownership security has been supported.

The funds could have been used for spot maintenance and Village clean-up.

With the expected loss in revenue, the Village Board will have to find a way to provide the services, residents expect.

Minor streams of revenue are still being explored by Village President Dan Barber, and his Municipal Trustees.

New construction, new business opportunities or re-use of old equipment can be considered, as ways to attempt to use the revenue available, more effectively.

Economic Development has been spurred by the introduction of gaming tax revenue, courtesy of the various business outlets, which allow the legal, taxable gambling.

Those entities are entitled to a percentage of the overall take.

The Village also gets a percentage of the funds, which had been directed for economic development.

For the Village of Pecatonica, less is coming, but, as has been reported, additional opportunities still wait, in an attempt to generate additional revenue.

On Tuesday, during Regular Board action, the Public Works Department’s plans, carried out of Committee, received consideration.

Further details from the Tuesday, March 15 meeting of the Pecatonica Village Board will be presented in next week’s edition of the Gazette.