Assessing the Landscape
Amberley Village’s Finance Committee, under the leadership of Mayor Bob Rosen, has been taking a comprehensive look at the Village’s finances and the long-term sustainability of the outstanding services residents have come to expect.
Like everything over time, the cost of providing municipal services has increased. At the same time, the Village's recurring revenue structure has not kept pace. In fact, the most recent municipal income tax rate increase in Amberley Village was in 1989.
While Amberley Village has maintained a balanced budget for most of the last fifteen years, projections revealed in the sustainability plan reflect a progressively looming deficit moving forward.
Responsible Spending
“We’ve managed to remain balanced by controlling expenditures, sharing equipment acquisition costs with other jurisdictions, minimizing staffing, pursuing grants and deferring major purchases,” said Village Manager Scot Lahrmer.
“However, this is not a sustainable plan - and costs are only going to increase.” Mr. Lahrmer emphasized the importance of the restructure now to protect Village assets and financial sustainability into the future.
Identifying Sustainable Revenue Options
To address this structural gap, the Finance Committee has been evaluating two potential sources of recurring revenue:
The first is a proposed reduction in the municipal income tax credit available to residents who work outside the Village. Amberley has offered a full tax credit of 2% to its residents, but this has come at a cost. “The income tax credit was intended to defray costs to residents already paying into the municipality where they work,” said Mayor Bob Rosen. “But we’re still providing services for residents from whom we are receiving no income taxes.”
Changes to the income tax credit require legislative passage by Council, and were introduced in October. The income tax credit proposal will be considered publicly by Village Council through ordinance readings in November and December, with additional Finance Committee meetings over the next two months, allowing opportunities for residents to ask questions and share feedback.
A proposed renewal and increase of the Police Levy from 8 mills to 12 mills is also under consideration. Residents may recall that the Levy was reduced from 10 mills to 8 mills in 2017 when the economy was more robust. The 2022 Levy Renewal retained the same reduced rate and did not increase taxes. The proposed measure to increase the Levy would require passage by voters, and is expected to be on the Spring 2027 ballot. Together, the Levy and the
tax credit reduction will be necessary to align recurring Village revenues with the ongoing cost of providing police protection and other municipal services.
“We Can’t Keep Kicking the Can Down the Road”
At the September and October meetings of council, Mayor Rosen made the statement that the Village “can’t keep kicking the can down the road.” That’s because the Village has been putting off largerpurchases, relying on temporary fixes and repairs, and employing cost-saving measures for the past fifteen years. But deferring and cutting costs come at a price of their own.
Supply & Demand: Timing Our Needs
In today’s environment of supply shortages and shipping delays, equipment and vehicles must often be ordered months - and sometimes years - in advance. This makes anticipating Village needs more important than ever.
Securing the Future
Ultimately, the goal is not simply to balance the budget today, but to ensure Amberley Village remains financially strong for years to come. By addressing rising costs, planning responsibly for future needs, and establishing
reliable, recurring revenue, the Village can protect the quality of services residents have come to value. The decisions ahead may not be easy, but taking action now will help preserve the high standards, safety, and quality of life that make Amberley Village such a special place to call home.
The graphic above outlines the cost increase of basic equipment and services since 2020, just six years ago. Since then, residents have also felt the squeeze of cost increases in basic goods and services like gasoline, housing and health care. And the Village has worked to avoid having to ask for more. Unfortunately, the alternative means increased deficits or cutting services to our residents, which are both equally unattractive. The bottom portion highlights the estimated timelines for each due to supply chain and labor shortages since the years of COVID-19.
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The video below features Mayor Bob Rosen delivering a Finance Committee report at the September 2026 meeting of Village Council, which summarizes the current financial landscape and future challenges for Amberley Village:
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