Higher expenses in 2024-25 were due to subdivision work
The Village of Hampton saw a significant decrease in its 2024-25 operating budget approved last Monday night, Sept. 9 as part of its annual budget and tax request hearing and meeting for the new fiscal year that starts on Oct. 1. Last year’s operating budget was $2,481,846, but next year’s budget will drop by 54 percent to $1,139,878.
Board of Trustees chairman James Parsley explained the difference between the two numbers is due to the bond issue that was done in the current year for the infrastructure work on building the new Hampton West Subdivision. The sewer, water, electrical, drainage and street work, which was the village’s obligation in the agreement with the Hampton Development Corporation, is expected to be completed soon.
Meanwhile, the village’s property tax request for non-bond purposes (there is no request for bond purposes) rose by 10 percent from $153,345 in the current year to $167,969 for 2024-25. The tax rate was set at 45 cents per $100 of valuation which is the same mill levy as the current year and, according to Parsley, is consistent with the past several years. Allowing the tax asking to remain static is the fact that property valuations in Hampton are up 10 percent to $37,326,622 for 2024-25.
As part of the meeting, the trustees also approved a 3 percent pay raise to take effect in October for the village’s three employees, including the village clerk and the two maintenance workers. The village will also match up to 5 percent of money the employees contribute to a retirement account which is up from the current 3 percent.
In other matters coming before the board in the May meeting, the board discussed a water leak from a city pipe at 346 G Street at the home of Chris Slocum. Village maintenance supt. Chris Friesen explained that water had begun springing up in Slocum’s yard and that in trying to locate the source of the leak, crews had dug across the alley but were unable to find a shutoff.
Since the leak was on the city’s side of the meter, the board decided the village should pay for the costs of the digging and other expenses Slocum will have in restoring his property.
The board also took further action regarding a building that is feared unsafe and which the board has been discussing the past several months.
Concerned about the structural stability of the brick building several doors north of the city hall at the corner of 3rd and B streets, the board decided at a recent meeting to appoint Friesen as village building inspector and direct him to hire a structural engineer to inspect the building to determine whether it is safe. The glass is missing out of several upstairs windows and, out of a concern that the north wall might collapse, orange cones have been placed along that side of the building to limit parking and traffic in the area.
Parsley said the village’s attorney, Drew Graham, advised the board it did not need to wait to hire a structural engineer until permission was received from the owner to do the inspection. The attorney had said he would reach out to the owner one more time as a courtesy and then to go the court to file for an inspection warrant allowing the village to conduct the inspection without the owner present.