Colfax Village Board to present $1.56 million budget at Dec. 1 public hearing

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX —  After spending nearly eight hours discussing the 2017 budget, the Colfax Village Board’s audit and finance committee is recommending a $1.56 million budget that will be presented December 1 at a public hearing.

The audit and finance committee, which is a committee consisting of the entire village board, met November 2 and November 10 to review the budget.

The total revenue for 2017 is listed as $1,156,703, and the total expenses are expected to be $1,156,689.

The expenses for 2017 are $15,310 more than the 2016 budget but nearly $240,000 less than the actual amount spent in 2016.

The amount for the village board of $29,120 is nearly 12 percent less than the 2016 budget of $33,070.

Included in the village board budget is $16,000 for wages; $500 for travel; $1,100 for benefits; $5,000 for outside services; $4,000 for legal services; and $2,000 for dues and subscriptions.

Administration is listed at $157,784, representing a 2.6 percent increase over 2016.

In addition to salaries and benefits for the administrator-clerk-treasurer and the deputy clerk treasurer is $4,900 for travel; $4,000 for office supplies; $2,500 for telephone service; $5,000 for outside services; $11,000 for assessing; $25,000 for auditing; $1,700 for legal services; and $1,500 for election wages (compared to $3,600 for 2016).

The village hall budget is listed as $11,325, representing a 4.3 percent increase.

The village hall budget includes $1,000 for heat; $1,500 for electricity; $1,600 for communications; $2,500 for repairs and building and grounds maintenance; and $2,000 for outside services.

The police budget is listed at $203,142, representing a .9 percent increase.

In addition to salaries and benefits for the police chief, a full-time officer and part-time officers, the police budget includes $2,000 for office supplies; $2,000 for technical supplies; $5,500 for gasoline and oil; $2,250 for heat; $1,600 for electricity; $2,200 for telephone service; $3,000 for fleet repairs; $1,500 for building and grounds maintenance; and $7,300 for liability, property and vehicle insurance.

The fire protection budget is $131,325, representing a 1.2 percent increase.

The fire protection budget includes $20,685 for the tax levy; $10,000 for Length of Service Awards (LOSA); $4,000 for outside services; and $96,640 for hydrant rental.

The amount for streets is $199,250, representing a 10 percent increase.

In addition to salaries and benefits, the streets budget includes $2,500 for small equipment; $5,000 for gasoline and oil; $2,000 for heat; $3,500 for electricity; $20,000 for street repairs; $4,000 for fleet maintenance; $4,000 for equipment maintenance; $5,000 for building and grounds maintenance; and $15,000 for outside services.

In addition to the $199,250 for streets, the street budget lists $30,000 capital outlay for street equipment and $50,000 in capital outlay for streets.

Street lighting is expected to be $26,500, representing a 5.4 percent decrease over the 2016 budgeted amount of $28,000. Xcel Energy installed LED street lights earlier this year, which are more energy efficient.

Solid waste is listed at $11,646, representing a 13.3 percent decrease.

Recycling is in the budget as $25,500, representing a 20.1 percent increase.

The cemetery is listed at $26,706, representing a 2 percent increase.

In addition to wages and benefits, the cemetery budget includes $1,000 for small equipment; $1,000 for equipment maintenance; and $600 for electricity.

The library is listed at $101,544, representing a 24 percent decrease.

As of the November 10 budget review meeting, the Colfax Public Library Board had not yet held a meeting to discuss and set the budget for 2017. State law stipulates that the public library board sets the budget for the public library.

Parks are in the budget at $47,744, representing a 19.5 percent increase.

In addition to salaries and benefits, the parks budget includes $1,500 for small equipment $1,000 for gasoline and oil; $10,000 for building and grounds maintenance; $1,800 for property insurance; $2,000 for outside services; and $1,500 for dues and subscriptions.

Debt service is listed at $70,921, representing a 26.6 percent decrease.

Revenue for the water utility is projected at $261,790, representing a 1.09 percent decrease, while expenses for the water utility are listed as $256,036, representing a 4.53 percent decrease.

Revenue for the sewer utility is listed as $174,100, representing a .29 percent increase, as compared to expenses for the sewer utility of $199,004.

The water utility budget includes $15,000 for chemicals, and the sewer utility budget includes $17,000 for phosphorus removal chemicals.