Wednesday, Dec. 18

 

County agrees to write proposal
for economic development tax

[DEC. 18, 2002]  Tuesday the Logan County Board voted 8-3 to direct its finance committee to write a resolution and set the rate for a tax referendum to support economic development. If passed at the January board meeting, the resolution will go before voters in April.

The money would be earmarked for economic development of the whole county, not for land for a commerce park or any other specific project. Board member Dave Hepler said he hopes the tax would be used for administration, such as the economic development director’s salary and office expenses.

If passed, the new economic development tax would replace current county and city funding for the Economic Development Council. For the budget year that began Dec. 1 the county is contributing $25,000 from the farm fund, generated by income from the county farm. Previously the money came from the general fund. The cities of Lincoln and Atlanta also contribute, and the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce gives services and office space.

Finance committee member Dick Logan said one argument in favor of the tax is that it would give the EDC a steady, predictable income and "stop the begging" each year at budget-writing time. He and board member Terry Werth explained that one problem in filling the director of economic development position is the low salary and inability to commit to more than one year’s pay. They said at least $55,000 a year for three years is needed to attract a strong candidate.

 

John Stewart questioned why the tax proposal was brought forward in the first voting session after five new board members were seated. All three who voted against the measure -- Stewart, Mitch Brown and Pat O’Neill -- are new. Those in favor included newcomers Bob Farmer and Chuck Ruben plus Hepler, Logan, Werth, Paul Gleason, Gloria Luster and Dale Voyles. Lloyd Hellman was absent for medical reasons.

Though the vote on whether to put the referendum on the ballot comes next month, finance committee chair Ruben said he hopes Tuesday’s vote means strong agreement with the tax concept. Drafting the resolution will take substantial time from committee members and officeholders. County Clerk and Recorder Sally Litterly said she has not yet found a county of similar size that has such a tax to use as a model.

State law empowers the board to set the maximum tax levy, but the finance committee does not yet know how much it will ask for. Board chair Dale Voyles said the rate must be set carefully because once it is in place, tax caps limit how much it can be raised. Ruben pointed out that the board does not have to levy the maximum it sets. As a case in point, the hotel/motel tax was not levied at its maximum until this year.

Each cent levied on $100 of assessed valuation would yield about $38,000. As one example, Ruben said a tax of 4 cents on $100 would mean $18 on a $150,000 house or $5.38 on 40 acres of farmland. It would yield approximately $150,000.

In response to questions, Voyles quoted State’s Attorney Tim Huyett’s opinions that the EDC is subject to open meetings and freedom of information laws and that time and money must be kept separate if one official does economic development plus other tasks. Huyett has said that combining regional planning with economic development would create a potential conflict of interest. Another issue for the state’s attorney is whether economic development money can be accumulated for a large project.

 

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Hepler pointed out a parallel to the senior citizens tax. At the time of its passage, many considered it a tax for The Oasis. But two other groups -- CIEDC and Healthy Communities Partnership -- successfully petitioned for part of the money. Similarly, other bodies besides the Economic Development Council might ask for and receive some of the proceeds from the proposed tax.

Because of the importance of the tax issue, Brown asked for nighttime finance committee meetings. The committee’s regular meeting time is 8 a.m. on the Friday between the board-of-the-whole and adjourned board sessions.

Other business at the Tuesday night board meeting generated little discussion, and all other votes were unanimous. Board members quickly agreed to:

--Extend the enterprise zone to include the property with multicolored buildings next to Kroger’s on Woodlawn Road. J. W. Horn of J & S Auto Centre submitted the petition, which was previously approved by the Regional Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Enterprise zone designation confers some tax abatement advantages.

--Renew dental coverage with Guardian Dental at a 4 percent increase in premium, and raise the cap to $25.17 per covered employee per month. This is an increase of 98 cents per person per month.

--Request $558,818.40 from the Motor Fuel Tax Maintenance Program to maintain county highways during 2003.

 

--Give Assessor Rosanne Brosamer a 3 percent raise retroactive to the beginning of the fiscal year.

--Ask for a time extension for the assessor’s board of review. Voyles termed the provision a "legal formality," since the state will not have its information to Brosamer in time for her to complete her work in the time allotted.

--Reappoint Marvin Johnson of rural New Holland to a second five-year term on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

--Support the concept of a breakfast for mayors, township supervisors and other county officials to discuss issues of mutual interest.

--Write to state legislators asking them to restore funding of residential treatment for selected juvenile offenders.

Voyles appointed Robert Sullivan, Tom Fleshman and Barb Lolling, all of Lincoln, as an audit committee to review animal control policies and procedures. They will conduct the audit during the first week of January.

Sheriff Steve Nichols said he has saved $600 per cellblock door by agreeing to buy 13 new doors during the next two years. Price of each door is $4,400 installed. The law enforcement committee has approved the expenditure. Locking switches on electronic panels must also be changed to work with the new doors.

[Lynn Spellman]


Gov. Ryan grants permit for
new coal-fired electric plant

[DEC. 18, 2002]  SPRINGFIELD -- On Tuesday, Gov. George Ryan announced the issuance of a construction permit for the first new mine-mouth coal-fired electric plant in Illinois in more than three decades -- a 91-megawatt project that Corn Belt Energy Corporation plans to build in southern Logan County.

“This administration has had an ongoing commitment to Illinois coal,” said Gov. Ryan. “The Corn Belt Generation Cooperative Power Plant project is just one of several promising proposals that will benefit the coal industry.”

Corn Belt, an electric cooperative headquartered in Bloomington, will build the $147 million plant adjacent to the Turris Coal Company mine near Elkhart.

The project is part of a U.S. Department of Energy test program to develop technology that will enhance the use of coal nationally.

The power plant’s advanced U-fired boiler system, supplied by Babcock-Borsig Power, will be one of the most advanced clean-coal boiler systems in the nation. The boiler is designed to maintain high thermal efficiency while minimizing emissions. It is the first new coal-fired boiler in the state equipped with a selective catalytic reduction system to control NOx as part of its original design.

 

The air pollution control construction permit was issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

 “The innovative technology to be used at the new plant exemplifies Illinois’ goal of developing clean burning technology that allows Illinois coal to be used without compromising air quality,” noted Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano.

The proposed project will use approximately 380,000 tons of coal per year and create more than 50 new jobs for the area. Its output will allow Corn Belt and other rural electric cooperatives to meet the future needs of their customers.

 

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For demonstrating cleaner burning uses of Illinois coal, Corn Belt will receive about $25 million in subsidies from the state, including a grant of $23 million from the Illinois Coal and Energy Development Bond Fund, administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. The state’s share of the funds will come from the ongoing Coal Demonstration Program.

In addition to the grants issued by DCCA, the project will receive $25 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Low Emission Boiler System Program and has been awarded $2 million by the Illinois Clean Coal Review Board through Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

“Through the support of Governor Ryan, Congressman Ray LaHood and many others, Illinois will be able to demonstrate some of the newest and best technology available to burn Illinois coal in an environmentally friendly way, while at the same time creating Illinois coal mining jobs,” said Michael Murphy, chief of DCCA’s Office of Coal Development.

“We are also optimistic that, despite the current economic downturn, several other large-scale coal plant projects are moving ahead under the ‘Power to Compete’ incentive program enacted in 2001,” Murphy said.

[Illinois Government News Network
press release]

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