Pinckneyville City Council approves 14 percent real estate tax levy increase
Following a Truth in Taxation hearing, the Pinckneyville City Council unanimously approved the ordinance setting the annual real estate tax levy for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2013 and ending April 30, 2014.
The total levy is $594,000 which is a 14.4 percent increase over the previous year's levy of $519,100.
Each year the city receives an actuarial report dictating exactly how much must be contributed to the police pension fund for the city's officers. The amount is based on the number of officers and their salaries.
Last year the report did not arrive until after the council had passed the levy. The city had budgeted $124,500 for the police pension fund. However, the contribution as dictated by the state was $199,645. The city had to use $75,145 from the general fund to meet their obligation.
This year they raised the budgeted amount for the police pension fund to $199,645. The actuarial report arrived and indicates that the city's contribution will be $204,645.
City Attorney Roger Seibert said the estimated difference in the city's portion of residents' tax bills is $5 to $10. For a home valued at $30,000, the owner can expect to pay less than $10 more this year than they did last year for the city's portion of their real estate tax bill.
Three Pinckneyville residents, Donald and Jeannie Woodside and Helen Schafer, were present to object to the tax increase.
The three said that those on fixed incomes cannot afford another tax increase. They pointed out that city employees get annual raises. Many residents do not. Social Security's cost of living increase is considerably less than 14.4 percent, as well.
"This council is committed to not raising taxes unless absolutely necessary," said Commissioner Leonard Heisner. "We have no choice."
In other business, the council:
• heard from Commissioner Heisner that the first video gaming tax check arrived. It brought in $409. Heisner asked the council to consider creating a special building fund with the new gaming tax.
• approved the purchase of a chopper pump for the terminal lift station east of town. The pump costs $30,000 installed and will reduce the man-hours spent removing the pumps after inmates at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center flush items that clog the regular pumps. Commissioner David Stone said a meeting with prison officials a few years ago has reduced, but not eliminated the problem.
• passed a resolution supporting the 13/127 bypass west of town. The resolution will hopefully remind local legislators to lobby for funding in the Federal highway bill. Typically, 90 percent of such such projects are paid for with federal funds.
• passed a resolution supporting a $200,000 safe routes to school federal grant application. The funds, if received would be used to move the sidewalk on the south side of the high school football field further from the road. It is an 80/20 matching grant. The city would use motor fuel tax to pay their share.
• heard from members of the Zoning Commission (Fred Pabst, Rita Schwebel, Tom Hagene and Jack Stone. Members not present were Mike Kovic and Jeff Smyth) that they will present their plan at the next regular city council meeting on Jan. 13. The next planning commission meeting is at 7 p.m. on Jan. 9 at the high school. The public is invited. The council is invited to attend. The next step will be to create a new zoning map for the city. Seibert said the commission should put together their packet and bring it to the city. The city can then forward the plans to their engineering firm and a map can be created from them. Normally, a map is adopted along with a zoning plan. The commission is working from several maps at present, including the color-coded zoning map used by Perry County. Their plans differ from the county's.
• set the 2014 city council meetings on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.
• set the Pinckneyville Cemetery Board of Managers meeting at 12 p.m. on the second monday of each Month.