Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Chatham Village Board April 26, passed its 2018-19 budget in the amount of $2.1 million. Trustee Jay Rippel cast the only dissenting vote. Rippel said he liked the budget but he disagreed with the process. “We have to try to get more public involvement,” he said. “We have to allow people to voice their concerns.” The spending plan, which goes into effect June 1, is a slight increase over the current budget, raising the tax rate per $1,000 of assess property value by three cents. The general fund portion of the budget totals $1.2 million, with separate budgets for water, at $448,000, ad sewer, at $483,000. Rippel and fellow Trustee Mike Wollowitz expressed concern about the water and sewer budgets. Village Treasurer Barbara Henry said the worst case scenario is the sewer deficit will total $559,000 and $125,000 for water. She said the current fund balance will cover the deficit as they move into 2018-19. Wollowitz, who is the village water and sewer commissioner, said those deficits were caused mostly by “salaries and some equipment.” Henry said that while the costs of running those departments increased, the rates imposed on residents have not. The Village Board raised water and sewer rates in March 2017. The board will discuss raising the rates again at its next meeting, 6 p.m., Thu., May 10 at the Tracy Memorial Village Hall. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.