CELORON - With no village residents in attendance, the Celoron Village Board recently approved its 2012-13 budget.
The board voted unanimously to pass the spending plan that increased the tax levy 1 percent.
In March, John Keeney, Celoron mayor, presented the Village Board the proposed fiscal plan, which increased the tax levy $2,681 to a total of $209,548. The tax levy is the money raised through property taxes. The total budget went up 3 percent to $470,094, which is $14,630 more than this year's budget. The tax rate increased 9 cents to $6.32 per $1,000 assessed property value.
A public hearing was held April 9 on the budget. No village resident spoke to the board about the budget at that time.
In March, Keeney said the tax increase isn't what he wants to propose, but with costs increasing, difficult decisions needed to be made.
''In future years, if revenues continue to drop and costs continue to increase, the village of Celoron will have to be cautious,'' he said. ''Hard choices must be made due to the rising cost of fuel, other products and services, as well as the need for capital improvements and purchases. Future decisions may require either program and/or personnel cuts or further increases in the tax rate.''
Celoron's fiscal year runs June 1 to May 31.