City clerk and city treasurer deliver revenue reports

[March 22, 2012]  During Monday evening's Lincoln City Council session, the city clerk and city treasurer delivered their monthly reports for February.

Sewer collections still moving forward

Susan Gehlbach, city clerk, reported that the past-due sewer accounts total just over $147,000, compared with a January balance that exceeded $180,000.

She said $6,000 was collected in January on delinquent sewer accounts, but in February that figure rose sharply to over $44,000 collected.

She also reported that of all the shut-off notices that have gone out, only five customers have actually lost their water service; everyone else has come in and paid.

She also noted that of the five shut-offs, one customer had come in recently, paid the bill in full, and their water was now turned back on.

She also said what she sees is that customers are not acting on their bills until they get the official letter from the water company. Then they take action to pay their sewer accounts.

Conzo reports revenues from the state down in February

Chuck Conzo, city treasurer, reported that for February, the general fund balance ended at $394,444.82, down approximately $34,000 from January.

Conzo spoke on this briefly, saying the balance was down, but several bills had been paid in February.

He also noted that the total receipts for the month of February from the state were down and that no money had been received for the local share of the state income tax. The total amount received was $361,016.64.

Payments from the state received in February included the November 2011 non-home rule sales tax, state use tax, municipal sales tax and telecommunications tax. The city also received the January 2012 motor fuel tax payment and the annual distribution on pull tabs, jar games and license fees, along with $221 from the Illinois Cash Dash.

It was noted the municipal sales tax figures are on the rise. Conzo compared the calendar year 2010, with a total of $2,725,105.40, to the calendar year 2011, with a year-end total of $2,738,674.34.

He noted the non-home rule sales tax was also showing an increase at the end of 2011 over the end of 2010, but at the same time he pointed out that the state income tax for the two calendar years showed a significant decrease.

At the end of 2010, the annual total of sales tax income was $1,201,644.91, but in 2011 the total dropped to $1,169,910.10.

Conzo also shared that there are drops in the revenues from the motor fuel tax. He said this is a direct reflection of the prices of gas right now. He also indicated he expects the decreases to continue.

Mayor Keith Snyder said it was interesting that the sales tax revenue is going up while the income tax revenue is dropping.

Conzo said this is a reflection of what is going on locally versus what is going on in the state as a whole. The sales tax revenues are based on actual spending in Lincoln, whereas the income tax is distributed on a per capita basis.

Conzo said increased spending locally equals increased sales tax revenue. However, in the state as a whole, people are not earning better incomes; therefore, there is less income tax to distribute throughout the state.

[By NILA SMITH]