Wayne tax increase request should wait for better times

Voters in Wayne will decide Feb. 2 whether the village can raise its portion of their property tax bill. Under the proposal, the owner of a $400,000 house, who pays roughly $400 to the village each year, would see an increase of $230 beginning next year.

Wayne has not asked for an increase since a local property tax was established in 1982, and the village's ability to meet its budget has become increasingly difficult. The increase would cover $350,000 in revenue losses - no small change for a village the size of Wayne. However, Wayne is not alone in feeling the squeeze of the economy, and we think a proposal to increase the village's tax by nearly 50 percent is a case of bad timing.

Over the years of substantial residential growth Wayne has been able to increase police services, which take 58 percent of the budget, and recently officials have stretched the road resurfacing program as much as they believe they can. We encourage village leaders to stretch a little more while waiting out the recession, and we urge voters should say "no" to this increase.