By Bruce Rolfe
The 2026-2027 fiscal year budget the Climax Village Council unanimously approved (Joline Chaney and Janet sutherland were absent) at a special meeting March 31 shows an overall decrease compared to the just completed budget.
Three of the budgets—general, major streets, and water—show decreases in estimated revenues and expenses while the local streets budget shows an increase in anticipated revenues and expenses compared to the just completed 2025-2026 budget.
The four budgets combined in shows estimated revenues and expenditures at $663,636.00, just over 11 percent more then the overall budget that was approved five years ago ($593,789) and over a 110 percent more then the 2014-2015 budget ($308,983) that was adopted in March 2014.
The amended 2025-2026 budget showed projected revenues and expenses at $829,455.00.
The original overall 2025-2026 budget showed estimated revenues at $638,060.24 and estimated expenses at $723,795.06 for a deficit of $85,734.82.
The approved general fund budget shows anticipated revenues and expenses at $343,086, a decrease from what the council adopted last March at $374,192 and a decrease of over $68,000 from the amended 2025-2026 general fund budget ($411,315).
There was a $97,090 draw from fund balance to balance the 2025-2026 general fund budget.
The Council anticipates to collect $175,000 in property taxes.
One notable anticipated increase in estimated revenue will come from Nextel for antenna leasing space on the water tower, moving from $17,977.51 to $21,600.
Some notable projected increases in expense includes an additional $4,344.15 built into the general fund budget for legal fees, moving from $10,655,85 that was approved in the original 2025-2026 budget last March to $15,000.
The estimated general fund expense for tree maintenance will increase from $$6,775 to $10,000.
The adopted 2026-2027 Major Streets budget shows estimated revenues and expense at $117,500, a $28,764.00 decrease from the amended 2025-2026 major street budget.
The 2026-2027 Local Streets budget is the only budget showing an increase over the just completed budget.
The adopted Local Streets budget shows projected revenues and expenses at $68,500, an increase of just over $19,000 compared to the amended 2025-2026 local street budget ($49,000).
Village Clerk Linda Coburn said the village is rebuilding the Local Streets fund balance after it got very low due when work that was performed on local streets in previous years.
The Village clerk adds budgeted revenue is based on income from Act 51 money (Michigan Transportation Funding) the Village receives from the State of Michigan that increased, and a secondary program, Neighborhood Roads Funding, which is providing additional money as well. Coburn said any unbudgeted money in the Local Streets account is placed in the Construction fund as a contingency.
The Council does not anticipate having as much expense from required services performed on the water system and repairs, leaving the new Water Budget with estimated revenues and expenses at $134,550. That is a large decrease from the amended 2025-2026 Water Fund budget of $222,876.00.
Emergency repairs were required on a break in three places on a power line under the railroad tracks that goes into a pump house that occurred from a power outage December 10 in the water system. That created an unexpected cost of approximately $156,000. DPW Manager T.J. Gibson was able to submit an insurance claim for costs associated with a $20,000 temporary fix and the Council received $19,139.05 from the insurance claim.
Coburn adds there were some areas of income that needed to be moved to other areas in the general ledger creating some of the negative line items.
The new budget includes a 3% wage increase for all three DPW employees. No other Village employees received increases in salary.
Funding for additional overtime patrol Kalamazoo County Sheriff deputies signed up for came from COVID/ARPA/SFLRF funds for the regular patrols however those funds have been depleted.
The new budget does not include money for a contract, which ended March 1, the Village previously had with the Kalamazoo County Sheriff Department for patrolling a specified number of hours each month in the village.
To support the new budget, the Council unanimously approved the operating millage rate of 9.5 mills and hydrant-water system millage rate of 2.5 mills. Both are the same as last year.
The 2026-2027 fiscal year budget the Climax Village Council unanimously approved (Joline Chaney and Janet sutherland were absent) at a special meeting March 31 shows an overall decrease compared to the just completed budget.
Three of the budgets—general, major streets, and water—show decreases in estimated revenues and expenses while the local streets budget shows an increase in anticipated revenues and expenses compared to the just completed 2025-2026 budget.
The four budgets combined in shows estimated revenues and expenditures at $663,636.00, just over 11 percent more then the overall budget that was approved five years ago ($593,789) and over a 110 percent more then the 2014-2015 budget ($308,983) that was adopted in March 2014.
The amended 2025-2026 budget showed projected revenues and expenses at $829,455.00.
The original overall 2025-2026 budget showed estimated revenues at $638,060.24 and estimated expenses at $723,795.06 for a deficit of $85,734.82.
The approved general fund budget shows anticipated revenues and expenses at $343,086, a decrease from what the council adopted last March at $374,192 and a decrease of over $68,000 from the amended 2025-2026 general fund budget ($411,315).
There was a $97,090 draw from fund balance to balance the 2025-2026 general fund budget.
The Council anticipates to collect $175,000 in property taxes.
One notable anticipated increase in estimated revenue will come from Nextel for antenna leasing space on the water tower, moving from $17,977.51 to $21,600.
Some notable projected increases in expense includes an additional $4,344.15 built into the general fund budget for legal fees, moving from $10,655,85 that was approved in the original 2025-2026 budget last March to $15,000.
The estimated general fund expense for tree maintenance will increase from $$6,775 to $10,000.
The adopted 2026-2027 Major Streets budget shows estimated revenues and expense at $117,500, a $28,764.00 decrease from the amended 2025-2026 major street budget.
The 2026-2027 Local Streets budget is the only budget showing an increase over the just completed budget.
The adopted Local Streets budget shows projected revenues and expenses at $68,500, an increase of just over $19,000 compared to the amended 2025-2026 local street budget ($49,000).
Village Clerk Linda Coburn said the village is rebuilding the Local Streets fund balance after it got very low due when work that was performed on local streets in previous years.
The Village clerk adds budgeted revenue is based on income from Act 51 money (Michigan Transportation Funding) the Village receives from the State of Michigan that increased, and a secondary program, Neighborhood Roads Funding, which is providing additional money as well. Coburn said any unbudgeted money in the Local Streets account is placed in the Construction fund as a contingency.
The Council does not anticipate having as much expense from required services performed on the water system and repairs, leaving the new Water Budget with estimated revenues and expenses at $134,550. That is a large decrease from the amended 2025-2026 Water Fund budget of $222,876.00.
Emergency repairs were required on a break in three places on a power line under the railroad tracks that goes into a pump house that occurred from a power outage December 10 in the water system. That created an unexpected cost of approximately $156,000. DPW Manager T.J. Gibson was able to submit an insurance claim for costs associated with a $20,000 temporary fix and the Council received $19,139.05 from the insurance claim.
Coburn adds there were some areas of income that needed to be moved to other areas in the general ledger creating some of the negative line items.
The new budget includes a 3% wage increase for all three DPW employees. No other Village employees received increases in salary.
Funding for additional overtime patrol Kalamazoo County Sheriff deputies signed up for came from COVID/ARPA/SFLRF funds for the regular patrols however those funds have been depleted.
The new budget does not include money for a contract, which ended March 1, the Village previously had with the Kalamazoo County Sheriff Department for patrolling a specified number of hours each month in the village.
To support the new budget, the Council unanimously approved the operating millage rate of 9.5 mills and hydrant-water system millage rate of 2.5 mills. Both are the same as last year.
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