T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM Cadiz Mayor John Migliore, left, reads an ordinance designating the Cadiz Community Improvement Corporation as the village’s economic development agency during Thursday’s evening council meeting. It was the first reading of the ordinance and will require two additional readings prior to its passing. Also pictured is Councilman Dan Ossman.

CADIZ — Although the village is anticipating a decrease in its income tax collections this year, the numbers are projected higher than the year prior.

During Thursday’s Cadiz Village Council meeting, Village Administrator Ted Andrzejewski said the village is projected to collect around $1.35 million this year in income tax collections. He said the village has already collected $303,348.89 for the first quarter. That figure does not include the withholding taxes which are not due until the end of this month.

Andrzejewski previously stated that it is a projected decrease of around $150,000. However, the collections are still up from last year when the village lost approximately $350,000 in income tax revenue.

Andrzejewski said the village should “feel good” about the projected income for the budget.

“It looks pretty good,” he said. “We’ll at least make the $1,350,000, maybe a little more. I know the unemployment numbers came in on a national level today and they’ve been the lowest since the pandemic started, so that’s a good sign — the more people back to work, the more income taxes.”

Andrzejewski also mentioned the impending water plant expansion and improvement project. The $2.3 million project is set to begin at the end of this month or early May, he said. The project is crucial in providing the village with clean drinking water, while also increasing water production capacity.

In other matters, Harrison Hills City School District Superintendent Dana Snider spoke with council regarding the school board’s intentions to purchase a 5-acre portion of Mazeroski Field. She said they are in the process of hiring a commercial appraiser to determine a purchase price for the property. The appraiser will also inspect the school’s west gate building, she said.

“We want to see what everything is worth,” she said. “We have no idea, frankly, about what either (property) is worth. But we are interested in the field.”

The board is in the process of building a girls softball field. Snider said that they would like to use the property to build a boys baseball field.

“In fairness … we need a similar field for the boys also,” she said.

Snider said it is the schools’ goal to come to an agreement with the village regarding the field so that everyone can benefit. She said their timeline for constructing the field is to begin in the fall. Once the appraisal and design work are complete, she said they would come back to the village with a purchase price.

Toward the end of the meeting, Mayor John Migliore read the first reading of a new pending ordinance and agreement designating the Cadiz Community Improvement Corporation as the village’s economic development agent.

Council next meets at 7 p.m. May 6 at the village municipal building.