In hopes of qualifying for income-eligible federal grants to update its sewer system, the Village of Sharon Springs will be surveying residents by mail beginning April 10.
A non-profit agency, RCAP, will be helping with the survey at no charge to the village and will explain the process this Thursday, April 6, at 7pm, at a meeting at the village offices.
Sitting in for Mayor Doug Plummer Thursday, Trustee Denise Kelly explained that information from the survey, which does ask questions on residents' income, will be kept confidential and is crucial to getting funding for DEC-mandated sewer improvements.
Without that information, the village must rely on income details gathered as part of the latest United States census, which shows Sharon Springs as "too rich" for most federal grants.
"Filling out this survey would greatly benefit the village," Ms. Kelly said. "We're asking everyone to participate, so we can keep our rates where they are. We have no choice but to complete these improvements."
For more information on the survey, attend Thursday's meeting or call Village Clerk Margi Neary at 284-2625 Monday or Wednesday, 10am-4pm, or Thursday, 10am-2pm.

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Also Thursday, the village will hold a public hearing on its proposed $874,000 2017-2018 budget
The tax levy will remain unchanged from 2016-2017 and the property tax rate will drop slightly from $8.24 per $1,000 to $8.19 per $1,000.
Water assessment rates will drop slightly from 64 cents per $1,000 to 62 cents; sewer rates will drop from $1.06 to 80 cents per $1,000.
Water and sewer usage rates will remain unchanged with a minimum charge of $55 for water and $48 for sewer per billing cycle.
Over the minimum of 6,001 gallons, the charge is an additional $9.34 per 1,000 gallons for water and $8 per 1,000 gallons for sewer.