Residents will be paying more for some village services in Voorheesville to offset increasing costs.
The Voorheesville Board of Trustees approved on Tuesday, March 26, increasing the sewer rate, summer recreation fees and vendor permit fees, which will bring a modest increase in revenues.
The sewer rate is increasing from $135 per quarter by $5, to a total of $560 annually. The increase was due to an increase in operating costs, according to Mayor Robert Conway. The rate increase is estimated to yield an additional $6,000 in revenue.
“We hadn’t addressed that increase in 10 years and it was time to do that,” Conway said.
The village also pays the fixed cost of a bond related to renovating its sewer facilities. The 30-year bond has 20 years remaining before it is paid off.
There are two sewer districts maintained by the village. Sewer District No. 1 includes Salem Hills and some homes along Maple Avenue, Mountainview Street and Swift Road, along with Voorheesville Elementary School. Sewer District No. 2 serves some Pleasant Street residents.
Summer recreation fees were $35 for residents and $60 for non-village residents, and the board voted to increase both fees by $10. The fee allows for up to 12 hours of recreation programming, Conway said, which include instructional basketball, tennis, soccer and an arts and crafts program.
The recreation fee increase could yield $1,300 in new revenue, according to village officials.
Vendor permit fees were $25 regardless of the length of the permit, but village officials voted to make the permits fees more applicable to the length of operation being sought. The board approved keeping the permit fee for a single day at $25, but set the fee at $100 for vendors applying to operate for more than one day, or a season.
This longer permit is primarily applicable to an ice cream truck operating on a seasonal basis. This allows smaller vendors, such as those operating at the Memorial Day parade, to continue paying the same fee.
“The discussion was about the ice cream truck that comes through every single day for a season,” Conway said. “We were thinking a more equitable charge was due.”
The annual water rate will also be increasing on June 1, with the minimum payment increasing $20 to $150. The minimum payment covers 25,000 gallons of water usage, with usage fees increasing incrementally after the initial allotment is used. Out-of-village users pay double that rate.
