Gardner residents receive early Christmas gift

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GARDNER  – Residents of this community will be getting a Christmas present from the village this year.

For most of the year, Commissioner Dick Hileman has been looking at a way to give back to the community. After being sent back to the drawing board by the TIF attorney over the legality of refunding the taxes he had in mind, Hileman came up with a plan that would give something to every household that pays for water and sewer service.

Hileman on Monday asked the board to consider waiving the water and sewer fees from Oct. 21 through Nov. 20.

“We can’t do anything about the garbage,” he said during the regular meeting. “We can give free water and sewer to everyone, though.”

He said while not every household would receive the same amount of help, they would all have one less bill to pay in December, prior to Christmas.

“The billing date for this reading is Dec. 1, with the bill being due on Dec. 20,” he said. “This would give our residents something extra in time for Christmas.”

Hileman said he looked at a billing date from one of the heavier usage months in the summer, when people are washing their cars and filling pools, and found the bills totaled about $25,000.

“This Christmas present is a way to give back to the residents who have always been there for us,” Hileman said.

The board voted unanimously to offer the one-time savings and to transfer funds from the general fund to the water and sewer fund to cover the expense.

“It helps everyone,” Commissioner Mike Serena said. “It’s perfect. I love it.”

Serena publicly thanked Hileman for taking the time to investigate and find a way they could legally give back to the community.

Hileman said they haven’t had to pass any bond referendums and have been paying cash for the repairs to the streets, sidewalks and water improvements they have been doing.

“Ninety percent of our water lines have been replaced and we spent about $700,000 in the last two years on roads and sidewalks,” he said. “If our residents have to tighten their belts we can afford to give them this break.”

Mayor Tom Wise said he thought the idea is one of the greatest things they could do for Gardner.

“Times are tough,” said Wise. “We have to do the right thing and this is the right thing.”

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