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 We’ll start with the Logan County Courthouse because it has been in
the news longer and the final outcome, which is yet to be determined
by voters, is going to have a lasting impact on the history of our
community.
Whether the courthouse gets a restoration of its magnificent stained
glass dome or not was the first big question. Pieces of the upper
structure started falling in the rotunda and then later through the
ceiling and into the third floor courtrooms. Some thought that the
best answer would be to remove the dome and restore the courthouse
to a flat roofed building. Others fought to maintain the dome
because it is beautiful, historically significant, and somewhat
rare.
The gigantic elephant in the room is how to pay for the restoration.
A referendum will be placed on the March 2020 ballot seeking a
Public Facilities Sales Tax to be used only the courthouse
restoration.
County officials are looking to a sales tax because
it spreads the burden across all Logan County citizens PLUS those
who come into our community from outside the county. Travelers who
stop and shop in Logan County while passing through will bear a
portion of that cost. Those who are not property owners will also
bear a portion of the cost through their local purchases.
The tax will work much like the school tax that was passed a few
years ago. The tax will not apply to food or medications, but will
be applied to many other retail sales within the community.
The county placed a “Public Safety Tax” referendum on the April 2019
ballot with the goal of raising the money for mandated changes to
the jail and the courthouse restoration.
That referendum failed. Because that was the second attempt, the
board determined to make the next request for the courthouse only.
The total estimated costs for the courthouse renovations are
$8,600,000. The plans include prioritized options. Restorationist
Bill Walter said that if everything is done under one contract the
costs could be reduced to $7,740,000.
In August the board voted to put a referendum on the March 2020
ballot that would provide an estimated $900,000 revenue each year.
If the public facilities sales tax referendum passesthe next step is
for the county to secure bonds to pay for the entire restoration.
The Public Facilities Sales Tax would also enable the county to
provide matching funds to any grant funding it might win, including
a significant state capital grant that has been applied for already.
04/04 - Sheriff Mark Landers
Statement regarding failed Safety Tax Referendum
05/03 -
Heavy rains collapse Logan County
Courthouse third floor ceiling
05/08 -
Logan County Board seeks urgent
assessment of Logan County Courthouse damage and office relocation
plans
05/15 -
Building restoration specialist advises
to save deteriorating Logan County Courthouse dome
05/23 -
Building restoration specialist to
assess Logan County Courthouse
05/24 -
Logan County Briefs: Alternate
courthouse space determined, fireworks storage approved, and other
matters
06/05 -
Plan process begins in recovering Logan
County Courthouse from water damages
07/12 -
Logan County gets update on funding
options for courthouse renovations
07/19 -
Logan County Board discusses financing
courthouse restoration
07/24 -
Logan County board determines how to
fund courthouse repairs
08/19 -
Logan County Board revote leaning
toward Public Facilities Tax vs Public Safety Tax
08/27 -
Logan County Board votes to put Public
Facilities Tax referendum on the March ballot
10/18 -
LOGAN COUNTY COURTHOUSE DOME RAISES
GREAT CONCERNS
10/28 -
Logan County Courthouse dome
deterioration concerns grow
11/18 -
Logan County Board to consider
courthouse dome repair costs and new laws
12/05 -
Logan County Courthouse comprehensive
restoration estimated $8.6 million
12/06 -
Restoric approved to begin Logan County
Courthouse interior dome mitigation
Legalization of recreational marijuana
In 2019 the state of Illinois passed a monumental law regarding the
legalization of recreational marijuana. Starting the first of
January, consumers will be permitted to purchase recreational
marijuana for personal use through a registered and state approved
retail facility.
Illinois now joins a handful of other states in the nation that are
going to be recognizing marijuana as a taxable product with the
demand for the drug adding to the coffers of the state as well as
local communities.
For Logan County this was a highly controversial topic as many spoke
out in favor and also against our community becoming a home for such
a retail establishment.
The state is regulating how many retail establishments can be placed
in a given region. Lawmakers have split the state into regions and
assigned a number to each region indicating how many retail
establishments may set up shop in any given area. In highly
populated areas such as Chicago there are more retailers allowed,
while in less densely populated areas such as Logan County and the
other counties within the assigned region, fewer retailers will be
allowed.
To date, one company has expressed an interest in setting up a shop
in Lincoln, but no applications to the state have been made yet,
thus none have been approved.
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Labeled the ‘West Central Region” Logan County is grouped off with
Adams, Brown, Cass, Christian, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Henderson,
Knox, Livingston, Mason, McDonough, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie,
Pike, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby and Warren Counties.
Within this 21 county region the state will permit three retail
establishments. Because of this, the odds of any retailer landing
in Lincoln are narrow. However, what this area does have going for
it, if you will, is that it is a hub area with interstate
connections to nearby communities that are in other state designated
regions.
While it is believed that there will be many local consumers, the
desire of the company considering coming to Lincoln is that there
would be those who do not want to purchase Cannabis in their
hometown, thus they will travel a few miles to get what they want.
The city of Lincoln debated this issue long and hard as did the
Logan County Board and the city of Mount Pulaski.
The county voted not to allow retail sales establishments in the
unincorporated areas of the county. The city of Lincoln aldermen
were split in their decision as were the aldermen for the city of
Mount Pulaski. In both cases the mayors had to settle the vote.
Mount Pulaski Mayor Matt Bobell and Lincoln Mayor Seth Goodman both
voted in favor of allowing retail establishments within city
limits.
For those in both communities who voted in favor of the retail
establishments, the consensus was that the state had done this, no
matter where it is purchased the drugs are going to be in our
community legally and our local law enforcement is going to have to
deal with the fallout anyway. Therefore, the communities might reap
the benefits of the tax money – up to three percent – that the state
is going to permit to those communities with a resale shop.
For those opposed to the allowance of retail establishments, the
argument was based on the kind of message we are sending to our
children.
Many noted that they did not want our historic community with roots
to Abraham Lincoln – one of the most honorable Presidents of the
United States ever – to be overshadowed by legalized drugs.
Some also noted that the allowance of gambling in the community had
already been detrimental to the county’s reputation and now
legalizing marijuana was only going to put another black spot on the
image of the communities.
After the initial passing of the state law, which started out with
severe restrictions on where the drugs could be consumed, the state
modified its laws and loosened the reigns a bit, allowing for public
consumption in designated areas such as hooka bars and “sampling”
inside retail establishments.
The city of Lincoln voted not to allow sampling nor hooka bars, and
talked at length about the terminology to assure that citizens
understood they could not use the product in public.
Some of the interesting questions that came out considered the
“privacy of one’s own home.” Does that include outdoor areas?
Another interesting point made was that marijuana is not legal
according to the federal government. Therefore, properties funded
by federal dollars such as public housing will be under federal
jurisdiction, and use of cannabis within those properties will be
strictly against the law.
Lincoln will also not permit personal or greenhouse growers in the
city while the Mount Pulaski vote included allowances for growers.
In addition to gaining tax revenue from the legal sale of marijuana,
at its December 16th voting session the city of Lincoln
approved the licensing fees for such retailers. The city also
established fines for ordinance violations for retailers and
buyers.
To date, the only retail establishments that have been approved by
the state of Illinois are those that were already selling medical
marijuana. Sale of recreational marijuana began in Springfield on
Wednesday, January 1, 2020.
05/14 - Logan County
Sheriff Mark Landers:
Sheriffs and Chiefs Raise Safety
Concerns About Marijuana Legalization Proposal
Recreational Cannabis Bill Contains Known Public Safety Threats And
Loopholes
08/29 - Potential recreational marijuana dispensary entrepreneurs
approach city of Lincoln
Part one: Business developers request
support for retail establishment
Part two: City constituents and
aldermen raise questions
9/12 -
Lincoln aldermen prepared to vote on
recreational marijuana next week
09/20 -
Lincoln aldermen split on legal sale of
recreational marijuana
Mayor left to make the decision
10/11 -
Logan County Board to vote on whether
or not to allow marijuana dispensaries
10/17 -
Logan County Board says no to marijuana
dispensaries and hooka lounges; prepares to ask voters to approve
funds for courthouse repairs
12/02 -
Lincoln aldermen to vote on in-store
recreational marijuana consumption
12/04 -
Mount Pulaski mulls marijuana grower
and retail sale ordinance
12/10 -
Mount Pulaski City Council votes on
marijuana proposition
12/11 -
Mayor breaks tie as Mount Pulaski City
Council decides recreational marijuana businesses
12/12 -
Lincoln aldermen labor over
establishing fees and fines related to recreational marijuana
[N SMITH/LDN ARCHIVES]
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