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| City Council Reaches Budget and Tax Levy Impasse |
UPDATED 12:17pm 12/6/11 An hour and 15 minutes worth of discussion by the Galesburg City Council on the city's property tax levy request essentially led to aldermen agreeing to disagree for now.
Aldermen Monday night voted to table the property tax levy request and the Fiscal Year 2012 City Budget -- this, after aldermen roundly voted to reject at least two tax levy proposals, one that would have seen the average property tax bill go up 20 dollars a year, and another that would have raised the levy anyway, but would have resulted in a dollar amount that was flat, not giving any extra money to the Galesburg Public Library.
First Ward Alderman Ken Goad said he wouldn't raise property taxes on residents under virtually any circumstance.
"We have to raise certain rates every year, we have to raise water rates, communication rates we just raised, also Ameren rates are going to go up for everybody, they go up every year," he said. Also a lot of extra fees are being paid by all of us in the state, part of that money's coming to do our three bridges, or our three grade separations. Also sewer rates go up every year."
Alderman Wayne Dennis literally argued with City Assessor Darrell Lovell about how much his property tax bill would go up under the various scenarios. He claims he was given misinformation by Lovell's office.
Seventh Ward Alderman Jeremy Karlin said not raising property taxes means not doing what the public was told would be done.
A special meeting will be held likely next week, at which time aldermen will hash out details, and take their final votes on the levy and 90-million dollar budget.
UPDATE: The City Council has scheduled meetings for Monday, December 12th, at 5:30pm, Wednesday, December 14th, at 5:30pm, and Saturday, December 17th, at 9am.
(5th Ward Alderman Peter Schwartzman, right, makes a point during Monday night's Galesburg City Council meeting. WGIL News Story and Photo by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 12 06 11 by Newsroom |
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