BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — The village board has set a public hearing on the municipality’s tentative budget for 2023-2024. The hearing will be Monday, April 3, at 5:45 p.m. at the civic center board room.

According to the early numbers in the village’s preliminary budget for 2023-2024, total general fund appropriations for the coming year could be around $7.5 million, which would be a slight increase from the current fiscal year’s $7.329,719 budget. Projected general fund revenues in the preliminary budget rise to meet the increase in expenses, with around $4 million in total tax levy making up the lions share.

However, the preliminary budget plans for around a 1 cent decrease in the per $1,000 of assessed value tax rate for village residents in the general fund.

The preliminary budget, found online at https://bit.ly/3KbHHW2, also features the village’s hydroelectric, recreation, water, sewer and trash budgets.

Village Administrator Greg Thompson told the board at their March 20 meeting that he expected to hone down some final department budget numbers with the department heads in coming days.

“Preliminary budget has been completed and turned in,” said Thompnson. “The mayor, myself, and Laurie, and Isabelle, will be meeting later this week to put our first review on it.”

“We will meet later this week with department heads to talk with them about their expenditures and where we think they might need to pull back if possible,” Thompson said.

The village is required by state law to approve its annual budget by May 1. The fiscal year for Potsdam begins June 1.

The board is expected to convene workshops to work on the tentative budget, prior to its passage next month.

To read a copy of the village’s preliminary budget for the coming year online, visit https://bit.ly/3KbHHW2. The numbers listed are subject to change as village officials hash out the final numbers.