The Beach Park Village Board unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday night that will gradually eliminate the village’s utility tax over the next four years.
The ordinance calls for the 5 percent utility tax to be reduced to 3 percent on May 1, then reduced by an additional 1 percentage point each succeeding May until the tax is eliminated in 2002.
Board officials said the reduction in taxes was made possible by an unexpected surplus in the village’s budget this year. Into the 11th month of the current fiscal year, the village has more than $120,000 more in revenue than expected and is spending less than the amount budgeted for the fiscal year. Officials said that the surplus was largely the result of responsible spending policies.
In other matters, the board bid farewell to Trustee Marty Stanonik, who Tuesday served his last village meeting.
Stanonik has lived in Beach Park for 50 years and was a member of the original board of trustees when the village was established in 1989. He said he is stepping down to spend more time with his family and friends.
