Du Quoin by the numbers

The treasurer's report presented at Monday night's meeting of the Du Quoin City Council gave the council its first real look at the city's financial health in over a year.

The report was prepared by City Clerk Andrew Croessman and City Treasurer Stephanie Cravens and gives Mayor Guy Alongi a reason to be cautiously optimistic that the city's financial health is improving. With this first report in hand, Croessman and Cravens are committed to providing the council with this report EVERY month.

The closing balance in the general fund on December 31 2015 was $427,936 with income of $489, 393 and expenses of $483,498.

The all-important water department fund showed income of $194,005 and expenses of $204,187. The city's financial picture typically improves dramatically in the second quarter.

Croessman called it a "hybrid" report, meaning that while all the numbers are real there is a small crossover in days accounted for because of the normal transaction time on bank processing of hundreds of city checks.

"But, it is very close," said Croessman

"What the city has to do now is to become more efficient at what we do," he said.

He said that on the expense side there is not much that can be changed because of the fixed costs of doing business as a municipality. There is payroll, utility payments, large fixed costs of operating a water reclamation plant, etc. "At least now we know what the numbers are and things are definitely improving," he said.

Alongi commented that once some major beginning of the year expenses are out of the way like an upcoming bi-annual $209,000 bond payment on the wastewater plant things will get a little more comfortable. Once the city recovers the $47,594 owed it by the State of Illinois the financial picture will improve even more. Alongi thanked both Croessman and cravens for their work.