The hotel/motel tax
is a levy on proceeds from hotel and motel occupancy and as such is
seen as a tax that does not come from the pockets of local
citizens. By law proceeds must be spent on tourism. In the past
the money has gone to the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan
County and to Main Street Lincoln.
If the board passes
the half percent increase, the levy is expected to raise about
$10,667 new dollars. This represents an 11 percent increase from
the current $96,000 in annual proceeds.
Though raising the
hotel/motel tax rate would bring new money to the county, it would
not affect the critical general fund, which is used to run most
county business. Its principal sources of revenue are sales and
property taxes, interest income and fees levied by county offices.
Accountant Gary
Hetherington of Sikich Gardner & Co. in Springfield, who sat in on
the committee meeting, explained that tax revenue projections in the
2003 budget were determined by taking figures from the current
budget, adjusting downward according to actual receipts in 2002 and
adding 1.5 percent for growth, essentially inflation. The interest
projection is down $75,000 because the county will have less to
invest at lower rates.
Going into Friday’s
meeting the deficit in the county general fund budget for fiscal
year 2002-2003 stood at $688,484. The Finance Committee, chaired by
Rod White, went through the budget line by line trying to bring
expenditures more in line with projected revenue. Besides White,
the committee consists of board members Roger Bock, Lloyd Hellman,
Dick Logan, Clifford Sullivan and Dale Voyles. Law Enforcement
Committee chair Doug Dutz and board candidate Bob Farmer also sat in
on the session.
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this article]
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For both the current
year, which ends Nov. 30, and next year the committee looked for
one-time expenses that need not be repeated, line items where
expenditures have been significantly under budget, purchases that
can be deferred and other potential reductions.
A few cuts seemed
relatively painless. For example, the board voted in May to
continue its own pay at $35 per person per meeting, with only one
meeting counted for an individual in one day. This salary is set
once every 10 years and is unchanged from the previous decade.
However, with the switch to district representation, board
membership will drop from 13 to 12 in December. As a result, the
committee was able to cut the line item for board pay by $5,000 to
$40,000.
For the most part,
however, cuts proved difficult to make because many line items are
mandated by law, set by union contract or determined by previous
board vote. In addition, most officials submitted budgets that
differ little from 2001-02 levels.
After
3˝ the
committee still did not have a budget proposal to present to the
full board in October. No overall vote was taken, so cuts discussed
remain tentative. White set another meeting for 8 a.m., Friday,
Sept. 27, in the board meeting room at the courthouse. Budget cuts,
tax increases and personnel are all on the table as the county tries
to stem the flow of red ink.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
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Four Canadian soldiers were killed
during the tragic incident. Charged in connection last week were
Maj. Harry Schmidt of Sherman, a former instructor at the U.S.
Navy’s Top Gun and the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons schools, and
Maj. William Umbach, a 20-year veteran of the Air Force and Air
National Guard and a Petersburg resident.
Today Gov. Ryan, Maj. Gen. David
Harris, the Illinois National
Guard adjutant general, and staff were briefed by the U.S. Air
Force deputy judge advocate general about the U.S. Code of Military
Justice process that the two pilots now face.
"The death of allied soldiers is
tragic, and the people of Illinois grieve with the families of the
heroic Canadian fighting men," Gov. Ryan said. "At the same time, I
want to be sure that these two Illinois military men, now on federal
active duty, get the best defense possible."
Although military lawyers are provided
to the officers, in order to get the best defense they are seeking
to retain private attorneys to join their legal team.
"I urge Illinois residents to support
the legal defense fund being established to help these two pilots.
They served their country in the war against terrorism. This tragedy
took place in difficult conditions. In the interest of justice and
fairness, Maj. Schmidt and Maj. Umbach deserve the best legal
counsel possible to mount their defense against these serious
charges," Gov. Ryan said.
Contributions can be made to the Pilot’s Defense Fund, VFW Post
10302, 2349 Stockyard Road, Springfield, IL 62702.
[Illinois
Government News Network
press release] |
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