SN 6.12.2021

The Sun and News, Saturday, June 12, 2021/ Page 5

Caledonia OKs village spending plan

Greg Chandler

Staff Writer

The Caledonia Village

Council Tuesday adopted its

budget for the 2020-21 fiscal

year.

The new budget calls for

general fund expenditures of

$763,595, up from the cur-

rent year’s amount of a little

more than $722,000.

The village tax rate will

remain the same for the fifth

year in a row, with a levy of

7.944 mills.

Some council members

questioned why there wasn’t

a work session to review the

budget prior to its adoption.

“We normally have a work

session the week before,”

Council Trustee Dan Erskine

pointed out.

But Village Manager Jeff

Thornton said he didn’t see

the need for a separate ses-

sion.

“We have such a small

budget. To have two separate

meetings sometimes doesn’t

make sense,” Thornton said.

“Last year, when we

reviewed the budget, our

meeting was 45 minutes. We

went line by line and

answered any questions peo-

ple had.”

Prior to Tuesday’s budget

adoption, Thornton went

over each line item in the

general fund, as well as for

the major streets, local streets

and sewer fund budgets.

The general fund calls for

more than $246,000 in

spending for the Department

of Public Works, including

$60,000 for capital equip-

ment. Another $100,000 has

been set aside in another cap-

ital outlay category. An addi-

tional $50,000 has been

placed in a contingency cate-

gory.

“It’s there in case we need

it,” Thornton said of the con-

tingency line item.

The budget also calls for a

2.5 percent cost-of-living

pay increase for village

employees to go into effect

July 1, just three months

after the council approved

another 2.5-percent raise that

was delayed from last year

because of budget uncertain-

ty tied to the COVID-19 pan-

demic.

The major street fund bud-

get is $1.06 million, of which

about $943,000 is for the

reconstruction of Kinsey

Street that is expected to take

place during the spring of

2022. About $563,000 of that
      project is being paid through
      Michigan Department of
      Transportation grants,
      Thornton said.
      The village’s tax base for
      2021 is more than $70.2 mil-
      lion, and will generate tax
      revenues of $557,676,
      according to township docu-
      ments.
      In other action, the Village
      Council approved a request
      by Thornton to pay out one
      week of unused vacation for
      village employees, based on

wage levels before the April

pay raise was adopted, and

allowed them to roll over

unused vacation into the next

fiscal year.

“It’s not precedent-set-

ting,” Thornton said of the

request.

Typically, the village poli-

cy calls for employees to be

paid out one week of unused

vacation, but they would lose

their remaining unused time.

One employee will carry

over 112 hours of unused

vacation into the 2021-

fiscal year.

A couple of council mem-

bers expressed concern about

rolling over unused vacation

time.

“It seems like a lot that

we’re rolling over to next

year,” Council Trustee

Cheryl Miller said.

“I feel vacation is given

for rest and relaxation and

recuperation,” Village

President Jennifer Lindsey

said. “We really need to

encourage people to take it,

even if you’re not going

somewhere, even if you just

need a day.”

Thornton pointed out that

some communities, such as

Kentwood, have allowed

employees who didn’t use

vacation time because of

COVID-related matters

“special allocations,” such as

carrying over unused vaca-

tion time.

But the decision didn’t sit

well with some who attended

the meeting.

“I think the Village

Council should, in the future,

develop some hard and fast

rules on how you do vaca-

tions,” former planning com-

missioner Chuck Swift said.

“We should encourage peo-

ple to take them. If you don’t

take them, you don’t get

them [rolled over to the next

year].”

Kim Peters, a current plan-

ning commissioner, called

the action “the most gener-

ous COVID package I’ve

heard, by far.”

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9:30 AM – Worship

11:00 AM – Sunday School

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Our mission is to worship God and equip

committed followers of Jesus Christ who will

reach our community with the Gospel

7240 68th Street SE

Caledonia, MI 49316

616-698-

http://www.alaskabaptist.org

CALEDONIA:

9185 Cherry Valley Ave SE

MIDDLEVILLE:

1664 M-

LEARN MORE!

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Worship Services:

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In Person Family Service 10 am • Come as you are!

Online Facebook and You Tube 10:20 am

http://www.brightside.org • 616-891-

8175 Broadmoor – Caledonia

See our website for further information.

Yankee Springs Bible Church

8900 Duffy Road

Middleville, MI 49333

"Shining Forth God's Light"

Sunday Morning Worship ........................10:00 a.m.

Community Group ..................................11:00 a.m.

James L. Collison, Pastor

http://www.yankeespringsbiblechurch.org

Good Shepherd

Lutheran Church

908 W. Main Street, Middleville

(Missouri Synod)

Sunday Worship ................9:30 a.m.

Pastor: Rev. Peter Berg

http://goodshepherdlcms.googlepages.com

Church: (269) 795-

SERVICE TIMES:

Sunday at 9:00am and 11:00am

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Local Church

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Sunday Masses ...........9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

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NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC

Sunday Worship:

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Whitneyville

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Caledonia
resident on
Gonzaga
honor list
Kalie Dyksterhouse of
Caledonia earned placement
on the Gonzaga University
President’s List for the spring
2021 semester.
Students must earn a 3.
or higher grade-point average
to qualify for the Spokane,
Wash., university president’s
list.
Middleville TOPS 546
Chris opened the June 6
meeting, followed by roll call
and the secretary’s report.
After she read from the
March/April TOPS magazine
on how to find the best ver-
sion of themselves, members
discussed energy levels and
finding joy to increase ener-
gy.
Alice lost the Ha-Ha box.
The meeting ended with
the KOPS and TOPS pledg-
es.
TOPS, a weight loss-
group, meets every Monday
at Lincoln Meadows in
Middleville. (Press Apt. 205
for entrance.) Weigh-in is
from 4 to 4:15 p.m. followed
immediately by the meeting.
A mask must be worn when
in the building. Social dis-
tancing is practiced.
Anyone with questions
may call Chris, 259-953-

5421. The first meeting is
      free.