SWANSEA — Trustees unanimously approved raising the portion of property taxes that goes to the village during its board meeting Monday night. Trustee David Thacker was absent.

Village officials estimate the increased tax levy will increase a homeowner's taxes to the village by only 1.5 percent.

The village is proposing a total levy of $983,400, according to Trustee Susan O'Malley, who leads the Finance Committee. Last year, the village levied a total of $948,861 in property taxes, O'Malley said. A public hearing was held last week, because the aggregate levy is a 7.79 percent increase.

O'Malley said the aggregate levy excludes the debt service levy for the firehouse bond principal payments. The aggregate levy amount is $771,000, which is higher than the aggregate levy last year of $715,274.

The firehouse bond principal payment is $212,400, which makes the total levy $983,400, O'Malley said. The overall tax levy is an increase of 3.64 percent over last year.

She estimated the owner of a $250,000 home would pay $271.69 in property taxes to the village next year, which is $3.73 more than last year.

The purpose of the tax levy is to provide operating funds through property taxes for the village's next fiscal year, which runs May 1 to April 30, 2014.

In other news, the village approved:

* An agreement with Midwest Occupational Medicine Ltd. in Belleville to manage a random drug and alcohol testing consortium for commercial drivers employed by the village.

* Payment of $5,944 to Fabick Power Systems for an emergency repair to a generator transfer switch at the new sewer plant.

* Execute a contract with St. Clair County for Swansea park improvements as the village received a $22,000 grant from the St. Clair County Parks Grant Commission. The village is obligated to allocate $2,000 for the improvements.

The village accepted the resignation of Judy Cates as the Police Department's attorney. Last month, Cates, of Swansea, was elected to the Fifth District Appellate Court.

Mayor Jim Rauckman recommended appointing David Cates, Judy Cates' son, of Cates Law Firm in Swansea, as the attorney for the Police Department. Trustees unanimously approved Rauckman's appointment of David Cates.

Contact reporter Jamie Forsythe at 239-2562 or jforsythe1@bnd.com.