Before a public hearing is hosted in the village of Lakewood regarding its tentative 2019-20 budget, Trustee Ellen Barnes, left, and Deputy Mayor Ted McCague answer questions from the audience. P-J photo by Eric Zavinski

LAKEWOOD — Village residents asked Lakewood Deputy Mayor Ted McCague questions during a public hearing Monday for the tentative 2019-20 budget, revealing some positive figures when compared to last year’s budget.

As was discussed at the last village board meeting, the proposed tax rate remains at $7.91 per thousand, an 8-cent decrease from the 2018-19 budget. A 2018-19 tax rate of $7.99 per thousand followed the 2017-18 budget’s rate of $7.34 per thousand. Amount to be raised by taxes has increased from last year’s $1,928,617 to $1,933,755.

“I think we’ve achieved (a structured budget),” McCague said as he explained to the audience how one of the main goals this year was to cover recurring expenses with recurring revenue. “We wanted to lower taxes if we could.”

McCague summarized efficiencies for the upcoming budget year: $87,949 of reduced expenses. Expenses reduced originate from sharing a fuel facility with the Southwestern Central School District, no longer funding the Lakewood Memorial Library through village dollars and the impending installation of LED street lights. Efficiencies also include small revenue increases from fire code inspections.

After hearing comments from residents and amending the tentative budget as needed — to update it for the reinstatement of $24,225 of state Aid and Incentives for Municipalities funding for instance — the four trustees will vote on the budget before May 1. The budget will take hold starting June 1 and will end May 31, 2020.

All amended increases and decreases combined, there will be $3,724 worth of extra expenses added onto the proposed budget from two weeks ago. One of the added expenditures was the creation of a Lake and Shoreline Management account, which will designate $20,000 for lake and watershed management.

Lakewood now has three line items for lake-related expenditures following other business items Monday to create new accounts for herbicide treatments and “future donations to lake funding,” on top of the already existing account for donations to Chautauqua Lake nonprofits such as the Chautauqua Lake Association, Chautauqua Lake Partnership and Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy.

Beyond the tax rate decrease and the more balanced budget compared with some past years, the village is also projected to not have to draw from fund balance or surplus to fund expected expenses.

“We’re not taking our savings account to finance the budget,” McCague said. When asked why the tax rate wasn’t lowered further, McCague added, “There are definitely unknowns in the operation of a community.”

Airing on the side of caution, McCague told the crowd that a conservative amount saved in contingency would prepare the community for any unplanned emergency expenses.

Following an executive session, the trustees also voted to hire a part-time assistant treasurer, who will begin work for the village Wednesday.

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