City Council Discusses Tax Levy

Effingham City Council members discused the tax levy for the coming fiscal year at Tuesday's meeting.

The plan is to lower the combined levy for the City and for the Suzette Brumleve Memorial Effingham Public Library for the third consecutive year. City officials said the effort is possible because the City's equalized assessed value continues to grow, generating enough funding for the City to operate. The amounts will be finalized at a future meeting.

The Council also discussed extending the life of the City utility tax for another eight years. The City began imposing the utility tax of 1-1/2% in 1995.

Also discussed was the actuarial reports for the fire pension and police pension funds. The City is continuing to increase the amount of contributions toward the requirement of supplying at least 90% of the pension cost by 2040.

The Council annexed property into the City that will be the site of an Old Dominion freight terminal along South Raney Street, west across the street from the City Business Park, and approved a plat of the site. Also approved was paying an invoice to the Illinois Municipal League for the City's property/liability and Workers Compensation insurance premium.

The Council discussed an engineering agreement with Civil Design for reconstruction of a block of 1st Street south of St. Anthony High School. The construction will be scheduled to begin the day after the school year ends. There was also discussion on work on the extension of Santa Maria Street from 4th Street to Maple Street. Both the City and the Effingham Park District are working on the project, with plans to develop a pond north of the Workman Sports and Wellness Complex. 

There was also discussion of purchasing new tasers for the police department and an agreement with National Trail Amateur Radio Club where the Radio Club's system could serve as a backup if the City lost its communications system.

The Council discussed moving ahead with providing the City's share of a grant request for an extension of McGrath Avenue in the area of Stevens Industries. There was also discussion of a floodplain ordinance and the termination of the Outer Belt West Tax Increment Finance District.