Village of Lewiston adopts budget

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

No Village of Lewiston residents spoke Monday at a public hearing on the proposed budget, making the trustees’ decision to unanimously approve the measure that much easier.

Notable numbers in the 2024-25 budget include:

•A tax rate of $8.164858 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation.

•Appropriations are expected to be $5,444,091, with revenues projected at $4,655,322.

If those numbers hold, the municipality will use $788,769 in appropriated fund balance to make up the difference ($754,675 in general fund balance plus $853 in sewer fund balance and $33,241 in water fund balance).

•Expenses

√ The general fund is $4,356,871

√ The water fund is $559,793

√ The sewer fund is $527,427

•Revenues

√ The total revenue stream is $4,655,322, with $558,940 in water fees and $494,186 in sewer fees

√ Real property taxes are expected to bring in $1,312,345

The new fiscal year begins June 1.

Mayor Anne Welch said, “Thank you very much to Stephanie (Longwell), our treasurer, she did a great job with our budget – as she does every year. She really put it together nicely.”

Trustee Dan Gibson said, “Stephanie, great job on the budget. It was self-explanatory.”

Deputy Mayor Vic Eydt was excused from the meeting.

Academy Park pavilion

Trustees awarded the Academy Park community pavilion bid to Jason Lombardi and the Ransomville-based Tech Trucking Inc. in the amount of $307,912, contingent upon review by Law Counselor Joseph Leone, Building Inspector Ken Candella and Town of Lewiston Building Inspector Tim Masters.

The 80-foot-by-40-foot pavilion will be constructed next to the Alphonso I. DiMino Memorial Band Shell. Design features include a cupola, scissor trusses with soffit along the pavilion ceiling, and 10-foot pillars.

To date, the Village of Lewiston has been granted $190,000 in Greenway funding, courtesy of the Town of Lewiston, and has two private commitments totaling $120,000.

Other news

The Village Board also:

•Approved two facilities use requests: One made by the Lewiston Garden Club to host a perennial sale from Thursday through Saturday, May 16-18, in and/or in front of the Red Brick Municipal Building gym; and a second from Bianca Falsetti to use Academy Park and the bandshell for a local vendor and fundraising event set for 4:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, June 21.

•Granted Catching Dreams Charters/Punt Pediatric Cancer Collaborative use of Lewiston Landing Park to host a fishing tournament fundraiser from 7-11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2.

•Allowed Inter-Community Services Inc. to collect both monetary and food donations at the South Fourth Street and Portage Road Artpark entrances on the following event dates: June 18 and 21, July 6, 19 and 24, and Aug. 10, 11, 13, 16, 20, 27 and 29.

•Set Paul Naus as chairman, and Richard Gworek, Doreen Albee and Ashlee Chmiel as inspectors, for the election to be held Tuesday, June 18. Bruce Gonka was named voting machine custodian.

•Appointed the following Lewiston Fire Co. No. 1 line officers:

√ Chief – Spencer Lilly

√ 1st Assistant Chief – William McEvoy

√ 2nd Assistant Chief – Chris Copland

√ 3rd Assistant EMS Chief – Matthew Grainge

A new sidewalk was recently installed behind the Ellicott Development plaza’s building No. 3 on Onondaga Street in Lewiston.