CALEDONIA - Those who ride the bus in Caledonia will need to find a new means of transportation as of January, according to the Village Board's approved budget cuts.

The Village Board approved the 2010 budget in a 4-3 vote Monday night that included cutting $36,000 from transit funding for Belle Urban System to provide services in Caledonia to fund parks, which previously had $0 in funds for 2010 after paying utilities.

Cutting the $36,000 the village has been paying to have BUS come north of 3 Mile Road and also to Greentree Shopping Center, 5101 Douglas Ave., would mean Caledonia would have no bus service, according to village officials.

Trustee Wendy McCalvy, who is on the Caledonia Parks and Recreation Commission, made the motion to cut from buses to give to parks and Trustee Gale Morgan seconded. Trustees Kathy Burton and Kevin Wanggaard and President Ron Coutts opposed strongly and cast the three 'nay' votes.

Also voting 'yea' were Bob Bradley, and Lee Wishau, whose wife, Marla, is president of the parks commission.

Cutting the buses, according to Coutts, would be "a slap to the face" for local businesses. Coutts worried about seniors who use the bus and especially about the negative impact the lack of a public bus system would have on existing and potential businesses along Douglas Avenue.

Wanggaard said cutting the funding for buses was "ridiculous," when it might be the only mode of transportation for people without cars to get to their jobs or to the shopping center on Douglas Avenue.

Coutts said the village spent about $4,200 on a study how to develop Douglas Avenue. Burton added the bus system is "a key in that development. I don't think hindering people from getting to their jobs is the way to keep funding for parks."

Those who supported the cut from the bus system to fund parks said they often saw the buses sitting empty. "I've questioned for a long time how many people use the bus," Morgan said. "I just don't know how much use we're getting out of that. And I'd hate to see parks go completely downhill."

Marla Wishau said she was ecstatic. "I think more residents will be served from having the parks rather than from using the bus," she said.

The $36,000 would give the commission a basic financial foundation to improve parks, said McCalvy. It can be used to provide basic services like mowing grass and park maintenance and used to apply for state and federal grants.

The approved budget also included a 4.3 percent tax levy increase from $12.4 million in 2009 to $12.9 million in 2010. The village levied as much as it was allowed by law - 3 percent - plus an additional $156,725 they did not levy in 2007, according to Village Administrator Tom Lebak.

The total 4.3 percent increase would mean a tax rate increase of about 23 cents from $5.48 per $1,000 assessed property value to $5.71. That means the owner of a $100,000 home in Caledonia would pay $571 in village property taxes.

No layoffs or service cuts were discussed during the meeting. The board is putting that decision off until later, after more accurate numbers come in, including labor union negotiations and health insurance costs.

According to the approved budget, the village has a $440,000 deficit.

The board is expected to meet Dec. 28 to finalize the approved budget.