Saturday, Oct. 19

 

Fire devours fields

[OCT. 19, 2002]  It took nine fire departments 3½  hours to subdue a blaze that began between 2000 and 2100 Avenue at 1500 Street at approximately noon Friday.  It is believed to have started when a power line arced and started the ditch on fire, according to Dan Rusk from the Beason Fire Department.  Beason was the lead fire department.

The fire rapidly raged out of control, fueled by 20 to 40 mph winds gusting out of the southwest. It raced northeast, jumping Route 10 as it devoured  dry, ripe fields of standing corn and soybean stubble. Lincoln Rural Fire Capt. Dean Kukuck said it outraced him as he was driving at 30 mph.

Responding fire departments included Beason, Waynesville, Chestnut, Kenney, Atlanta, McLean, Mount Pulaski, Mount Hope and Lincoln Rural. Rural Lincoln had two pumpers, a tanker and six men at the scene.  Approximately six or seven farmers turned out plowing and disking to help save their own and their neighbors’ crops. 

There were a couple of injuries as a result of the disaster.  The more serious occurred when a woman drove into the path of an Atlanta firetruck that was responding to the scene. She left her side of the road as she watched the fire. The truck driver saw her and drove off the road a bit trying to avoid the accident.  The woman had injuries and was transported to the hospital.  No further information is available at this time.

The other injury was a farmer who had smoke inhalation. He was also taken to the hospital.

One farmer drove his chisel plow too close and it caught on fire.  It was very unfortunate that the nearest firetruck was out of water at that moment.  The farmer was uninjured.

Formal damage estimates were not yet available.  Possibly the greatest loss was an estimated 25-30 acres corn.

[Jan Youngquist]


County files $4.7 million budget
with 1.6 percent property tax increase

[OCT. 19, 2002]  Meeting in special session Thursday night, the Logan County Board placed on file a fiscal 2003 budget with a general fund property tax increase of 1.6 percent and a deficit of $188,000 in the general fund.

The property tax increase, at the 1.6 percent maximum allowed by tax caps, is expected to yield $40,000, bringing the total general fund levy to $874,000. On a $90,000 home that would mean $1.68 more in property tax next year. Tax caps are based on the Consumer Price Index.

In the draft on file in the county clerk’s office, which according to board chair Dick Logan may not include all changes, expenditures for all funds total $4.7 million. Revenue projected from all sources totals $4.34 million. This includes federal and state payments, interest, fines, fees, and service charges.

Before Thursday night’s meeting the Finance Committee had cut $300,000 from general fund budget requests. Of this, $135,000 came from building and grounds, $69,000 from the sheriff’s department and $50,000 from juvenile probation. These included $25,000 for major building repairs and $50,000 for two patrol cars. Electronic monitoring made the cut in juvenile probation possible. At least a dozen other funds were cut by smaller amounts.

 

In addition, a net of $250,500 was shifted from other funds to the general fund. This included $75,000 from the ambulance fund and $151,500 from the liability insurance fund. Both have sufficient balances to cover two years of projected expenses. The health and highway department funds are both slated for a 1.6 percent increase, canceling $16,000 of the gain from the other two funds. [See "Committee finalizes county budget proposal."]

Going into Thursday’s meeting the general fund deficit stood at $163,000. The full board made two adjustments, adding $25,000 to general fund expenditures and reducing the farm fund balance by $13,000.

The board voted a 3 percent increase in the salary line item for each department, to be used for raises for nonunion employees. This does not mean an automatic 3 percent raise for each employee. Department heads are to distribute the money at their discretion. County Clerk Sally Litterly said department heads consider merit, longevity, education and other factors in determining raises.

Roger Bock made the motion for the salary increase, which passed unanimously. The cost is expected to be about $25,000 for 31 full-time and seven part-time employees.

The second adjustment came in funding for the Economic Development Council. In 2002 economic development received $20,000 from the general fund and $5,000 from the farm fund, which consists of revenue generated by the county farm. The Finance Committee raised the farm fund contribution to $12,000 and cut economic development from the general fund.

Bobbi Abbott, executive director of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce made an impassioned plea for more than the $12,000 allocated by the Finance Committee: "I really do appeal to you to invest in the future of this community. … We absolutely need to increase tax-producing revenues," such as through the commerce park backed by the EDC.

Saying, "We’ve got to invest in our own selves," board EDC representative Terry Werth moved to give economic development $12,000 from the farm fund and $20,000 from the general fund. Dale Voyles amended the motion to allocate $25,000, all from the farm fund.

 

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The board voted 8-4 in favor of the amended motion. Roger Bock, Doug Dutz, Lloyd Hellman and Rod White dissented. Board member Jim Griffin was absent. Dutz, who chairs the Law Enforcement Committee, said he would rather restore money cut from the sheriff’s department. Abbott and Werth unsuccessfully argued for a three-year commitment to EDC funding to help attract a good director of economic development.

Finance Committee chair Rod White pointed out that the farm nets about $16,000 per year and $4,000 is already earmarked for soil and water conservation. Therefore, the farm fund will show a $13,000 deficit for fiscal year 2003. However, the fund balance on Dec. 1, 2002, the beginning of the fiscal year, is estimated at $111,000.

The 12 members present voted unanimously to file the budget with the two adjustments. By statute, the budget must be filed in the county clerk’s office 30 days prior to enactment, which will occur at the Nov. 19 board meeting. White said it is legal but not economical to change the budget between filing and the final vote. Reprinting the multi-page document is expensive.

In introducing the discussion, White emphasized that this is the third year of deficit county budgets not because departments are spending excessively but because revenues are falling. In the current year, the $314,000 projected deficit increased to $420,000 even though several departments did not use all their allotments. The shortfall in revenue was greater than the amount of money returned. In addition, some state reimbursements are down.

 

Fortunately, seven years of surplus (1994-2000) preceded the three deficit years. Accountant Gary Hetherington of Sikich Gardner in Springfield said: "What we want to do is keep this thing in balance over time. It’s not useful to look at one year in isolation. … The only reason we have surpluses is to cushion years when we don’t." The general fund cushion at the start of fiscal year 2003 is estimated at $2.4 million.

Hetherington pointed out that the relatively low general fund property tax rate of .2373 percent is the result of conscious choices by the board. "In those years when we had surpluses, we kept reducing the tax rates," he said. And now tax caps keep the rate low.

In addition, there is no growth in assessed valuation. White said farmland assessments have fallen 10 percent for two years and are expected to do so another year. Commercial and home values have risen at about the same rate, resulting in the flat total valuation.

Hetherington said that the general philosophy used in preparing the budget, appropriate to a deficit year, was to shift taxing ability from other funds to the general fund to tide it over. To keep expenditures low, the contingency line item, normally $70,000, was eliminated. However, the board retained all county departments and jobs.

White is leaving the county board this year after 10 years as finance chair.

[Lynn Spellman]

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Festival of Trees seeks sponsors

[OCT. 19, 2002]  Organizers of the Festival of Trees are seeking businesses, organizations and individuals interested in sponsoring trees, wreaths and centerpieces for this year’s dazzling display at the Logan County Courthouse. The festival will be Dec. 5-8.

Items are sponsored to provide visibility for businesses and organizations or in memory of someone. Sponsors are responsible for decorating their items or arranging for someone else to decorate them. Trees will be decorated on-site Dec. 1-3.

Sponsorship fees are $150 for 7½-foot trees, $100 for 4½-foot trees and $50 for wreaths or centerpieces. The trees will be pre-lit to save time for the decorators.

Trees, wreaths and centerpieces will be auctioned at a new event — the Christmas Twilight Auction — from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Dec 8. The Christmas Twilight, which will feature a variety of scrumptious desserts, flavored coffee and punch, will be open to the public. Tickets are available by calling Cindy McLaughlin at 732-2929. Price is $15 per person in advance, $20 at the door.

Proceeds will be used by the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation in improving the quality of health care in Logan County and by Main Street Lincoln in revitalizing downtown Lincoln.

For more information or a sponsorship form, contact the Main Street Lincoln office at 732-2929.

[News release]

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