|
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.
[to top of second column in
this article]
|
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]
|
|
“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.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
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]
 |
