Village 2020 levy and tax rate fall

The Belgium Village Board on Monday quickly and quietly approved the 2020 tax levy and budget.

No residents showed up for a 15-minute public hearing before the meeting. Minutes later, the board unanimously approved the budget and levy.

The levy is the maximum allowed by the state, $1,045,799, down from this year’s $1,062,950.

The tax rate is proposed to fall from $7.22 to $6.76 per $1,000 of assessed value.

That means the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $1,352, which is $92 less than last year.

The budget includes 2% raises for the village’s four salaried and three hourly employees and a seasonal hourly employee.

In addition, the village clerk’s salary would be increased by more than $2,500 due to certifications required.

The Village Board approved those last month.

In separate motions, the board approved the capital projects/debt service, sewer fund and water fund budgets.

The board also approved renewing its contract for health insurance with Anthem BlueCross BlueShield.

The premiums carry a 9.9% increase, which means the village will pay monthly premiums of $5,032, up from this year’s $4,579.

The deductible for individuals is $2,000 and for families is $6,000. The maximum out-of-pocket expenses are the same.

The proposed budget, Treasurer Vickie Boehnlein said, called for a 10% increase.

“This does come in underneath that,” she said.

The board had the option to have a committee consider other options, but Boehnlein said cheaper alternative plans “are definitely not beneficial to the employees.”

Other plans, she said, “significantly increase deductibles to reduce rates” as well as higher copays and out-of-pocket costs.

Two years ago, the village changed to a less-expensive Anthem plan that limited employees to Aurora Health Care facilities.