Advertisement This is less than the 3.7 percent increase from 2007 to 2008, said Clerk Marilyn Pedretti, and less than the amount of increase allowed by state statute.
Next year’s budget for operation of town government calls for local property taxes to pay $385,000 of the total town government costs of $915,029. The 2008 budget was supported by $373,000 in local taxes.
As usual, the biggest expenses of town government include highway maintenance and repair, $373,381; refuse and recycling, $177,000; and fire protection, $152,536.
No one from the public came forward to speak on budget matters at a public hearing and special meeting of town electors held prior to the board’s unanimous passage of the new budget.
The final tax rate for Holland property owners has not yet been determined, said Town Treasurer Marie Dummer. The property tax bill, payable in 2009, can only be calculated after all tax-supported entities, including schools and county and state governments, have finalized their budgets for the upcoming year.
The amount of tax money that goes for operation of town government is typically quite small when compared with that required for operation of public schools.
Appliances
After a presentation by Pennie Pierce of Hilltopper Refuse & Recycling, the town board approved a motion that will change the way junk appliances are handled by Hilltopper.
Curbside pickup will be made available for white goods, such as refrigerators and other appliances, rather than the appliance owner being required to haul old appliances to the town’s drop-off site.
The $20 charge for disposal of such items will remain unchanged, said Pierce.
Under the new procedure, appliances will be picked up at curbside the Wednesday after payment of the $20 fee, she said. This will allow for many more pick-up opportunities than under the old system, where the drop-off sites are only open a few days a month and just seven months a year, she said.
Details of the new procedure will be announced soon in a town newsletter to all Holland residents.
Other business
Pedretti informed the board that the recent election resulted in an 83 percent voter turn-out. Of those, 18 percent voted in advance by absentee ballot.
After a closed session, the board reconvened to announce that starting Dec. 1 applications will be taken for a part-time substitute employee primarily for snowplowing duties. The new employee will help fill a vacancy brought on by a medical leave of absence in the department.
In other matters, the board:
Hammes said he will schedule a speaker to come before the board and explain the emergency planning procedure.
“Emergency planning will be one of our next big projects,” he told the board.
