NORTH WEBSTER – Town council gave a hearing and first reading Tuesday for the 2015 budget, a figure $51,000 lower than this year. The drop reflected in the $1.33 million budget is due to an estimated 9.7 percent decline in net assessed value for North Webster, which Clerk-treasurer Betsy Luce said amounts to a $1.19 million loss in valuation. Despite the drop, the town will try to keep the tax rate the same for next year. “I think we can make it work,” Luce remarked. “We don’t know (the drop in valuation) for sure till we get the budget report; hopefully it didn’t drop that much.” Also Tuesday, the town heard a complaint of overhanging branches from resident David Biesemeyer, who said he was told that’s why school buses no longer go down his road to pick up his grandkids. Utilities Manager Mike Noe said the trees weren’t mentioned when he asked the school about it, but he agreed to trim them. And council heard that trick or treat hours will be Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.
