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Marine Board Seeks Support For Tax Increase Proposal

By Ellen Proctor, Reporter

Marine village residents will receive their water bills in an envelope this month instead of the customary postcard.

At the March 6 Marine Village Board meeting, Village Clerk Amber Kapp reported that the bills had been mailed with a letter from the mayor and trustees asking for support for the Marine Sanitary District tax increase proposal.

The tax increase proposal, to begin assessment and repair of the village sewer system, is on the April 2 ballot.

The letter explains that the clay tile sewer system, which was built in 1953, is deteriorating and overwhelmed during periods of heavy rainfall. The letter states that the village pumps an average of just over 6.9 million (6,927,000) gallons of wastewater to the sewer plant monthly, far exceeding the nearly 1.9 million (1,989,000) gallons of drinking water pumped each month.

The letter states, “a property with a fair market value of $100,000 would increase taxes to an estimated $150 per year.”

Water and Sewer Department chairman Terry Gergen thanked trustee Darren Apken and village resident John Perkins for their work in coming up with the wording of the letter.

Gergen and Apken said that residents should be aware that the repairs don’t guarantee that all water problems will be “a hundred percent fixed,” as tap-ons and laterals to homes are also part of the infrastructure. Apken said that repairing the sewer system should minimize the issues.

The board voted unanimously in favor of insuring the military tank located at Marine Village Park against damage. The policy provides $5,000 in coverage, carries a $500 deductible and will cost $9.50 yearly.

The trustees also voted to approve a new business registration for Michael Swift, Jr. of 424 North Duncan Street, to operate MKB Painting LLC from that location.

Finance Committee chair Rae Lynne Meyer reported that she had spent an extraordinary amount of time balancing the budget. She recommended that the board pay close attention to costs before approving projects, as the auditor had advised them to revise the budget every time an expense exceeds its allotted amount.

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