SHEFFIELD — Next year’s general fund budget is nearly $5 million.
The approximately $4.96 million budget, which includes a projected deficit of about $3,000, was unanimously approved by Village Council members Monday. The general fund projects a carryover of about $1 million from this year’s budget.
Council members also unanimously approved a proposed five-year, 1.75-mill Fire Department levy which would generate about $1.47 million annually.
The increase would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $53 annually.
If approved, about $1.2 million of the money would go for five new vehicles, including ambulances and a fire truck, according to Fire Chief Jeff Young. The average age of the department fleet is about 13 years old.
If the levy is approved, the average vehicle age would drop to about 4½ years old. The rest of the money would be used to establish a reverse 911 phone system.
While approving the budget and levy, Council members tabled until September a vote on a new deer hunting ordinance. Mayor John Hunter said some residents were concerned that proposed changes were overly restrictive.
The changes would forbid hunting within 500 feet of any building without written permission from the owner or within 500 feet of any park, road or sanctuary where hunting is not allowed.
At a February public hearing on the ordinance, residents expressed frustration about police officers’ inability to stop poaching and trespassing by hunters. Concerns also were expressed about trophy hunters leaving deer carcasses in and near roadways.
Most of the approximately 50 collisions between vehicles and animals reported to police last year involved deer.
Ohio ranked 15th in the nation in deer-vehicle collisions between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, with about 60,200, according to a report by State Farm Insurance Co.
Contact Evan Goodenow at 329-7129 or egoodenow@chroniclet.com.
Recent Comments