\n
NEW <\/p>\n
BERLIN <\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The <\/p>\n
Village <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
New <\/p>\n
Berlin <\/p>\n
voted <\/p>\n
last <\/p>\n
week <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
approve <\/p>\n
a <\/p>\n
budget <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
would <\/p>\n
keep <\/p>\n
property <\/p>\n
taxes <\/p>\n
below <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
2 <\/p>\n
percent <\/p>\n
tax <\/p>\n
cap. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
According <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
Village <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
New <\/p>\n
Berlin <\/p>\n
Mayor <\/p>\n
Peter <\/p>\n
Lennon, <\/p>\n
contributing <\/p>\n
factors <\/p>\n
this <\/p>\n
year <\/p>\n
included <\/p>\n
increases <\/p>\n
in <\/p>\n
insurance, <\/p>\n
fuel <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
utilities. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\u201cInsurance <\/p>\n
costs <\/p>\n
increased <\/p>\n
5.5 <\/p>\n
percent <\/p>\n
for <\/p>\n
village.\u201d <\/p>\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
explained. <\/p>\n
The <\/p>\n
EMS <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
fire <\/p>\n
department <\/p>\n
insurance <\/p>\n
costs <\/p>\n
are <\/p>\n
separate <\/p>\n
from <\/p>\n
those <\/p>\n
referenced <\/p>\n
by <\/p>\n
Lennon, <\/p>\n
primarily <\/p>\n
because <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
EMS <\/p>\n
has <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
be <\/p>\n
a <\/p>\n
self-sustaining <\/p>\n
system. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Fuel <\/p>\n
costs <\/p>\n
this <\/p>\n
year <\/p>\n
have <\/p>\n
already <\/p>\n
increased <\/p>\n
by <\/p>\n
30-35 <\/p>\n
percent. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo <\/p>\n
one <\/p>\n
knows <\/p>\n
what <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
will <\/p>\n
be,\u201d <\/p>\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
said, <\/p>\n
explaining <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
in <\/p>\n
addition <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
regular <\/p>\n
fuel <\/p>\n
costs, <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
increase <\/p>\n
impacts <\/p>\n
asphalt <\/p>\n
for <\/p>\n
paving <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
heating <\/p>\n
fuel <\/p>\n
costs <\/p>\n
as <\/p>\n
well, <\/p>\n
creating <\/p>\n
several <\/p>\n
unknowns <\/p>\n
within <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
budget. <\/p>\n
\n
Utility <\/p>\n
costs <\/p>\n
have <\/p>\n
also <\/p>\n
impacted <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
village. <\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s <\/p>\n
NYSEG <\/p>\n
bills <\/p>\n
have <\/p>\n
been <\/p>\n
going <\/p>\n
up. <\/p>\n
That <\/p>\n
has <\/p>\n
had <\/p>\n
a <\/p>\n
significant <\/p>\n
impact <\/p>\n
on <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
village <\/p>\n
as <\/p>\n
well,\u201d <\/p>\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
explained. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Other <\/p>\n
significant <\/p>\n
factors <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
budget <\/p>\n
include <\/p>\n
a <\/p>\n
bump <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
about <\/p>\n
4 <\/p>\n
percent <\/p>\n
in <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
Department <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
Public <\/p>\n
Works <\/p>\n
Budget. <\/p>\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
explained <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
many <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
DPW <\/p>\n
crew <\/p>\n
are <\/p>\n
working <\/p>\n
on <\/p>\n
additional <\/p>\n
certifications <\/p>\n
in <\/p>\n
water <\/p>\n
treatment <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
repair. <\/p>\n
\u201cThose <\/p>\n
things <\/p>\n
make <\/p>\n
them <\/p>\n
more <\/p>\n
desirable <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
other <\/p>\n
communities <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
we <\/p>\n
need <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
offer <\/p>\n
incentives <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
keep <\/p>\n
them <\/p>\n
in <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
village.\u201d <\/p>\n
Story Continues Below Adverts<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
With <\/p>\n
so <\/p>\n
many <\/p>\n
uncontrollable <\/p>\n
increases, <\/p>\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
explained <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
village <\/p>\n
had <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
tighten <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
belt <\/p>\n
in <\/p>\n
many <\/p>\n
areas <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
keep <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
budget <\/p>\n
under <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
2 <\/p>\n
percent <\/p>\n
tax <\/p>\n
cap. <\/p>\n
He <\/p>\n
explained <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
village <\/p>\n
has <\/p>\n
restructured <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
front <\/p>\n
office <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
adjust <\/p>\n
contract <\/p>\n
hours <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
lower <\/p>\n
resource <\/p>\n
expenses. <\/p>\n
In <\/p>\n
addition, <\/p>\n
he <\/p>\n
said <\/p>\n
collaboration <\/p>\n
with <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
New <\/p>\n
Berlin <\/p>\n
Cultural <\/p>\n
Center <\/p>\n
has <\/p>\n
cut <\/p>\n
down <\/p>\n
on <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
expense <\/p>\n
for <\/p>\n
many <\/p>\n
village <\/p>\n
events, <\/p>\n
such <\/p>\n
as <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
annual <\/p>\n
Christmas <\/p>\n
Tree <\/p>\n
Lighting <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
Easter <\/p>\n
Egg <\/p>\n
Hunt. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\u201cSharing <\/p>\n
resources <\/p>\n
with <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
New <\/p>\n
Berlin <\/p>\n
Cultural <\/p>\n
Center <\/p>\n
has <\/p>\n
cut <\/p>\n
down <\/p>\n
on <\/p>\n
expenses <\/p>\n
for <\/p>\n
those <\/p>\n
village <\/p>\n
events. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s <\/p>\n
a <\/p>\n
great <\/p>\n
partnership,\u201d <\/p>\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
said. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
explained <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
there <\/p>\n
have <\/p>\n
been <\/p>\n
small <\/p>\n
increases <\/p>\n
in <\/p>\n
property <\/p>\n
values, <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
sales <\/p>\n
tax <\/p>\n
received <\/p>\n
from <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
county. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s <\/p>\n
been <\/p>\n
some <\/p>\n
good <\/p>\n
news. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s <\/p>\n
not <\/p>\n
a <\/p>\n
huge <\/p>\n
spike, <\/p>\n
but <\/p>\n
at <\/p>\n
least <\/p>\n
we\u2019re <\/p>\n
not <\/p>\n
moving <\/p>\n
in <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
wrong <\/p>\n
direction.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
commended <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
work <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
board <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
trustees. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey <\/p>\n
understood <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
this <\/p>\n
year <\/p>\n
especially, <\/p>\n
we <\/p>\n
couldn\u2019t <\/p>\n
have <\/p>\n
our <\/p>\n
hands <\/p>\n
out <\/p>\n
for <\/p>\n
everything. <\/p>\n
They <\/p>\n
developed <\/p>\n
compromises <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
gave <\/p>\n
real <\/p>\n
scrutiny <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
every <\/p>\n
item.\u201d <\/p>\n
The <\/p>\n
mayor <\/p>\n
said <\/p>\n
that <\/p>\n
he <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
some <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
board <\/p>\n
members <\/p>\n
have <\/p>\n
donated <\/p>\n
back <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
stipend <\/p>\n
they <\/p>\n
receive <\/p>\n
for <\/p>\n
their <\/p>\n
services <\/p>\n
over <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
years <\/p>\n
or <\/p>\n
used <\/p>\n
it <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
for <\/p>\n
village <\/p>\n
beautification <\/p>\n
or <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
youth <\/p>\n
fund. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
While <\/p>\n
many <\/p>\n
years <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
village <\/p>\n
is <\/p>\n
able <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
put <\/p>\n
some <\/p>\n
money <\/p>\n
into <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
reserve <\/p>\n
fund, <\/p>\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
said <\/p>\n
this <\/p>\n
year\u2019s <\/p>\n
budget <\/p>\n
will <\/p>\n
not <\/p>\n
allow <\/p>\n
them <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
do <\/p>\n
so. <\/p>\n
Moving <\/p>\n
forward, <\/p>\n
Lennon <\/p>\n
said <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
village <\/p>\n
will <\/p>\n
look <\/p>\n
at <\/p>\n
every <\/p>\n
opportunity <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
partner <\/p>\n
with <\/p>\n
other <\/p>\n
municipalities <\/p>\n
and <\/p>\n
with <\/p>\n
organizations <\/p>\n
within <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
community. <\/p>\n
\n
\u201cWe <\/p>\n
don\u2019t <\/p>\n
have <\/p>\n
a <\/p>\n
lot <\/p>\n
of <\/p>\n
cushion <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
work <\/p>\n
with. <\/p>\n
We <\/p>\n
plan <\/p>\n
to <\/p>\n
pool <\/p>\n
our <\/p>\n
resources <\/p>\n
as <\/p>\n
best <\/p>\n
as <\/p>\n
we <\/p>\n
can,\u201d <\/p>\n
said <\/p>\n
the <\/p>\n
mayor. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW BERLIN \u2013\u00a0 The Village of New Berlin voted last week to approve a budget that would keep…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78005,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[112,3651,41681,30416,6402,7551,570,30421,30415,30422,190,41680,2988,1453,38,6521,30417,39,1381,30420,30418,30419,1537,7322,19226,41679],"class_list":{"0":"post-78004","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-berlin","8":"tag-berlin","9":"tag-budget","10":"tag-cap","11":"tag-chenango-county","12":"tag-classifieds","13":"tag-community","14":"tag-current-events","15":"tag-daily-newspaper","16":"tag-evening-sun","17":"tag-forums","18":"tag-germany","19":"tag-keeps","20":"tag-new","21":"tag-new-york","22":"tag-news","23":"tag-newspaper","24":"tag-norwich","25":"tag-obituaries","26":"tag-of","27":"tag-online-newspaper","28":"tag-oxford","29":"tag-sherburne","30":"tag-tax","31":"tag-taxes","32":"tag-under","33":"tag-village"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/116539592972840410","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78004"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78004\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}