The tax levy ordinance is 98.28 percent of the amount levied last year, below both the mandatory tax cap voted in by Logan County residents in 1996 and the 105 percent increase over last year’s levy allowed by law, according to Mayor Joan C. Ritter.

Bids will be let on the fire department’s rescue pumper in February, according to Fire Chief Ken Ebelherr. The new dual-capacity vehicle will be both a pumper to put out fires and a heavy rescue vehicle. It will include "jaws of life" equipment to rescue passengers trapped in vehicles and equipment to use in rescue missions in other disasters, such as a train derailment or a building collapse, he said.

Because it requires about a year for the manufacturer to build a rescue-pumper of this type, Ebelherr said it would probably be the spring of 2002 before the new vehicle is in service.

The council also approved purchase of a laptop computer and printer for the city treasurer, Les Plotner. Plotner told the council he had checked local providers and others, and what appears to be the best price is a Dell computer for $2,150 plus shipping costs.

The council also approved an agreement with the Illinois American Water Company for the company to provide the city with information on water use by commercial accounts at a fee of $20 to $25 per month. The city bills commercial firms for sewer use based on their water consumption. The new agreement will eliminate the need for a city employee to review records at the water company for the more than 500 commercial accounts.

The council also agreed to postpone the Dec. 26 workshop meeting to Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

The tax levy ordinance is 98.28 percent of the amount levied last year, below both the mandatory tax cap voted in by Logan County residents in 1996 and the 105 percent increase over last year’s levy allowed by law, according to Mayor Joan C. Ritter.

Bids will be let on the fire department’s rescue pumper in February, according to Fire Chief Ken Ebelherr. The new dual-capacity vehicle will be both a pumper to put out fires and a heavy rescue vehicle. It will include "jaws of life" equipment to rescue passengers trapped in vehicles and equipment to use in rescue missions in other disasters, such as a train derailment or a building collapse, he said.

Because it requires about a year for the manufacturer to build a rescue-pumper of this type, Ebelherr said it would probably be the spring of 2002 before the new vehicle is in service.

The council also approved purchase of a laptop computer and printer for the city treasurer, Les Plotner. Plotner told the council he had checked local providers and others, and what appears to be the best price is a Dell computer for $2,150 plus shipping costs.

The council also approved an agreement with the Illinois American Water Company for the company to provide the city with information on water use by commercial accounts at a fee of $20 to $25 per month. The city bills commercial firms for sewer use based on their water consumption. The new agreement will eliminate the need for a city employee to review records at the water company for the more than 500 commercial accounts.

The council also agreed to postpone the Dec. 26 workshop meeting to Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

A lottery Tuesday morning determined the position on the ballot of three of the Republican candidates, Mesner, Ritter and Fults, who all appeared at City Hall at 9 a.m. Mon., Dec. 11, the first opportunity to file their petitions. Other candidates are listed in the order that they filed.

Ritter, who defeated John Guzzardo in the 1997 election to win her first mayoral term, has been involved in city government since 1981, when she won her first term as alderman. She served as alderman from Ward 5 when the city had seven wards, and after the redistricting served as Ward 1 alderman until 1997.

Fults, a math teacher at Lincoln Community High School, served as alderman from Ward 3 in the late 1980s. Mesner is presently completing his second term as alderman from Ward 2.

Davis, presently a member of the Logan County Board, has also served on the Logan County Health Department board and on the board of the Lincoln Optimist Club.

Although there will be a battle for the mayor’s position, the city clerk, city treasurer and five alderman will run unchallenged in the primary election.

Running unopposed for city clerk, Juanita Josserand has served in that position since 1987, when she was appointed to fill the unexpired term of state Sen. Robert Madigan. Lester D. Plotner, city treasurer, will run unopposed for his second full term. He has served for six years, also serving two years of an unexpired term.

Three incumbent aldermen are running, also unopposed: Benny L. Huskins Sr. will run for his third term in Ward 1; Glenn Shelton, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Verl A. Prather, will run for his first full term in Ward 4; and Michael T. Montcalm will run for his fourth term as Ward 5 alderman.

Verl Prather is running for the Ward 2 seat being vacated by mayoral candidate Mesner. Prather was formerly alderman in Ward 4 but moved to Ward 2.

Newcomer David R. Armbrust is running for the Ward 3 seat being vacated by former circuit judge Gerald Dehner, who has chosen not to run.