Bangor taxpayers will pay close to the same amount in 2009 for village services as they did last year.

On Tuesday, Dec. 9 the Bangor Village Board approved a 2009 budget that would require a tax rate of $5.29 per $1,000 of property value, up from $5.129, with a 4.65-percent increase in the local levy — from $291,795 to $305,356. That brings the total with all taxes for village residents to $20.94 per $1,000, up from $20.92.

“Our insurance costs increased almost 13 percent this year and with Rockland opting out of police protection, we won’t be getting those revenues,” said Village President Rob Gjertsen. “We’ve been trying to cut wherever we could to keep the budget tight.”

One of the big area for cuts was wages within the police department. “We are going from three full-time officers to two full-time officers and a part-timer,” Gjertsen said. “That will save in excess of $15,000.”

Despite the cuts and the levy increase, the village still faced a deficit of $60,137. Rather than go for a long-term loan, the board voted to use a portion of the 2008 fund balance of $121,971 to pay off the deficit in full. That leaves a 2009 fund balance of $61,834.

“We’re expecting $30,000 back from the DNR in either 2009 or 2010 for the pollution abatement studies we had to fund for the demolition of the mill, so things aren’t quite as bad as they look,” Gjertsen said.

In other business, the board approved a $1,000 filing fee for the TIF distict.

Learned from Public Works Director Cecil Rolfe that the new front end loader is working well to clear the streets of snow.

Approved a change in the insurance agent for Health Traditions from Wausau Insurance to Westland Insurance.

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