Ferguson: Trimming Village Budget Will Be Challenging Without Cutting Contracted Positions

Fredonia Mayor Mike Ferguson says there's a possibility that village trustees could find a way to trim their proposed budget to bring down a major property tax hike, but he indicates that it will be tough to do without cutting contracted positions. Ferguson spoke about the issue as a call-in guest on WDOE's "Viewpoint" program on Monday. Ferguson says keeping village workers requires "attractive" contracts and benefits. He cited the village's negotiations with the Fredonia Police Benevolent Association as an example...

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Ferguson noted that 71-73% of the village's budget consisted of contracted positions. He adds that while the public has been critical of the village's "overspending," he says it's being done "out of necessity"...

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The Mayor's comments come as village residents face a potential 65.9% increase in their property taxes for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Trustee Jon Espersen stated at the end of a special meeting last week that he would like the Village Board to look over the budget again before taking action on it next Monday, April 28th.

Click here to listen to the entire "Viewpoint" interview featuring Fredonia Mayor Mike Ferguson.

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