Community News
School board accepts annual financial report, chooses property/liability insurance policy
Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Monday night voted unanimously to accept the district’s annual financial report, chose an insurance carrier for property and liability, and authorized the Superintendent to apply for an administrative expenditures waiver.
Following a lengthy executive session, the board also voted 4-1 to expel an elementary student for the remainder of the school year, one of the youngest students the board has ever cited for expulsion. Board member Peyton Bernot cast the sole negative vote. Board members Amanda Ross, Dennis Tiburzi, Kelli Vesper and Weye Schmidt all voted to approve the disciplinary action. Board member Bill Carter was absent. There are no alternative school programs for students below the sixth grade. The expelled student reportedly will have an opportunity to continue classwork via an online program and will be provided with access to school counseling services.
Ken Loy, an accountant with Loy-Miller-Talley Public Accountants, Alton, told board members that the annual audit resulted in a “clean, unmodified” opinion from the auditors, meaning there were no descrepancies in the district’s accounting procedures for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The audit, which is required by state law, contains three opinion letters, all of which were positive in regard to the district’s accounting and fiscal management.
One letter is a general report of the auditors’ findings, indicating the district’s financial records “present fairly, in all material aspects, the assets and liabilities arising from cash transactions of balances of each fund.” Further, the report affirms, “the revenues (the district) received and expenditures it paid for the year . . . (are) in accordance with provisions of the State Board of Education.”
A second letter describes the scope of the auditing process, while a third letter addresses the district’s handling of federal funds. Loy said the federal letter is required when a district receives more than $750,000 in federal funds. For the most recent fiscal year, the district received about $2.5 million from federal sources. While that revenue triggered the need for a separate opinion letter, Loy said the amount was down somewhat from the past few years when the district was receiving COVID recovery funds. As with the general letter, the federal report reflects “a good, clean audit report,” according to Loy.
“All of these opinion letters are good as they have been in the past,” Loy said.
Zeroing in on some details of the 75-page audit, Loy noted that all funds ended the fiscal year in the black, except for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund which spent about $33,000 more than it received in revenue. However, Loy said, that deficit was a planned deficit that drew down on surplus balances.
“All of your other funds were positive,” he noted.
The district’s total equalized assessment value, the basis for property tax extensions, increased to $112,324,042 from $103,564,334 a year earlier, which was up from $95,324,343. The property tax extension for 2024, payable in 2025, was $3,599,569. The board typically sets the levy for the upcoming tax year in December.
The per capita tuition charge, determined by dividing enrollment into the total cost of education, increased from $8,892 for fiscal 2024 to $13,248 for fiscal 2025—due, in part, to a dramatic decrease in enrollment. The report notes that enrollment dropped from 1,005 in 2024 to 871 in 2025. That decline in enrollment, according to Loy, resulted in about $2,000 of the increased tuition charge.
Loy said the enrollment erosion is not unusual in downstate school districts.
“Our rural communities are aging,” he said. “We don’t have the size of families we used to have.”
Loy noted that the district’s state financial profile score increased from 3.7 out of 4.0 for fiscal 2024 to 3.8 for the most recently concluded fiscal year. The score identifies the district as a “Recognition Status” district, the highest ranking for financial health and stability.
“Your score went up a little bit because your debt went down,” Loy said. “At the same time, your capacity to borrow went up.”
Of the four criteria the State Board of Education uses to determine the score, CUSD 7 fell short of a 4.0 score in only the area of debt to income ratio.
“If not for the substantial debt, you would have had a perfect score,” Loy noted.
Supt. Shane Owsley told the board that some of the debt that’s bringing down the district’s financial score is lingering debt associated with the loss of Benld Elementary School and the construction of the BenGil Elementary School. The district secured special state legislation allowing it to exceed its normal debt ceiling to deal with the mine subsidence crisis. While that debt does not count toward the district’s debt ceiling, it is included in the financial report.
“Overall, you had a good year financially,” Loy said. With a $1.8 million increase in cash and investment balances “you are on solid footing and keeping up with inflation.”
INSURANCE POLICY
After several minutes of discussion, the board opted to switch from Wright Specialty to the Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust to provide property and liability insurance coverage at a cost of $235,061—about 26 percent less than what the district paid in premiums last year to Wright Specialty.
Richard Sedlak, an insurance broker with Schmale Insurance Agency, Belleville presented two options for the board to consider and discussed some of the advantages of one over the other. Wright Specialty proposed a policy similar to what the district currently has, except that the deductible for wind and hail damage was increased from one percent to two percent.
“A two percent deductible for wind and hail on three buildings could be a lot of money,” Owsley advised the board.
Wright’s proposed premium was $318,852—an increase of about 12 percent over what the district paid to Wright last year.
Wright also fell short on mine subsidence coverage, setting a claim limit of $750,000, compared with ICRMT’s limit of $10 million. The Trust also offered replacement costs on roofs up to 20 years in age. Wright’s coverage for earthquake damage topped out at $15 million, compared with ICRMT’s $10 million limit.
“If your concern is with earthquakes, Wright has the better program,” Seldom said. “If you’re more concerned about mine subsidence, the Trust has a better program.”
Sedlak said ICRMT is a stable company that has been in business more than 30 years. “It’s a non-accessible trust,” he said, meaning that if the company experiences a large loss, it cannot come back and reassess policy holders.
Going with ICRMT, Sedlak said, would give the district up to $30 million in coverage on the high school/middle school.
“This will be the first time you’ll have coverage that equals the value of that building,” he said. By going with the Trust, he said, “You’ll be giving up a little earthquake coverage for a lot more subsidence coverage.”
Later in the meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve ICRMT’s proposal for the coming year. The proposal includes Workers Compensation coverage through Zenith Insurance Co., the district’s current Workers Compensation carrier.
BUS PURCHASE
On a motion by Peyton Bernot, seconded by Amanda Ross, the board unanimously accepted Supt. Owsley’s recommendation to spend upward of $153,000 for a new bus from Central States Bus Sales to replace an older bus from the district’s fleet of buses. Owsley said he will pay for the vehicle from the Transportation Fund which was projected to end the year with a surplus of about $564,000. Financing the purchase, he said, would unnecessarily cost the district about six percent in interest.
“My goal is to make sure that none of our buses are more than five years old,” he said, “because that’s when depreciation ends.”
The fleet currently consists of 13 buses, seven of which are older than five years.
“We don’t need 13 buses,” Owsley said, reporting that Transportation Director Tim Besserman said he’d be comfortable with 10 buses. The district currently runs seven full bus routes.
Owsley said two buses already have been surplused, and he expects to surplus two more inoperable buses soon. The surplused vehicles are being scrapped, he said, “because scrap prices right now are more than what we can get for trade-in.”
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS WAIVER
Following a mandated public hearing, the board approved a resolution directing the Superintendent to apply to the State Board of Education for a waiver freeing the district from keeping increases in administrative costs at five percent or less. ISBE requires a waiver whenever administrative cost increases exceed five percent. Owsley said those costs for this fiscal year are likely to increase by eight percent.
The resolution applies solely to administrative costs that fall under the Superintendent’s office. Owsley said the increased costs are attributable to mandated increases in staff salaries and increasing costs for supplies.
As part of the process, the district was required to notify the Macoupin County Federation of Teachers Local 528, along with state legislators representing the district.
PERSONNEL
The board accepted the resignation of Jennifer Brown as the high school Student Council sponsor, effective at the end of the current school year, after several years of serving in that position.
“She’s been the Student Council sponsor for a lot of years,” Bernot noted. “She was the sponsor when I was in school.”
The measure to accept her resignation also directs the district to post the position as vacant.
Board members also voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Jake Kellebrew as the district’s Bass Fishing coach and to post the position as vacant.
The resignation of Jeremy Smith as high school head baseball coach was also accepted after 16 successful seasons with the team.
DISTRICT FOCUS
During a District Focus segment, Elementary Principal Angela Sandretto introduced new teachers Nick Davio, who teaches music and fifth-grade band, and speech instructor Karen Robertson.
“Students are very excited to be in his classes,” Sandretto said of Davio. “We’re very happy to have him.”
She said the district is “very lucky” have Robertson, whom she described as a “great addition to the elementary staff.”
High School Principal Jill Rosentreter noted newly hired paraprofessionals, Shari Scott and Foli Seferi, along with newly hired custodian Tom Turiglatto. Rosentreter described the paraprofessionals as “self starters.”
GRANTS
Owsley reported the district recently received a $20,000 grant from the Illinois Arts Council to buy equipment for the high school art classroom. He also reported a $15,000 donation from Dr. Ross Billiter, and the receipt of a $50,000 matching grant for facility improvements.
Owsley singled out the administrative staff for praise following the conclusion of Principals Appreciation Week.
“I’d take my team over any other team in the state,” he said. “I can’t thank them enough. They’re here everyday and they care about every student in the district.”
“We have not had a Superintendent who has brought the amount of grant money into our district as you have,” Board President Mark Hayes told Owsley.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board approved moving the regular monthly board meeting for December from Monday, Dec. 22, to Monday, Dec. 15, to preclude conflicting with the holidays and winter break.
Comments
The Gillespie City Council on Monday night approved $455,291 property tax levy for 2025 taxes payable in 2026 but, following a 30-minute executive session, took no action on a pending collective bargaining agreement with city employees.
The new levy compares with last year’s levy of $434,028. Because of a Property Tax Extension Limitation Law approved by Macoupin County voters in 1995, the city is limited to increasing the levy by no more than five percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less. This year’s CPI, essentially representing the current rate of inflation, is estimated at 2.9 percent.
The levy approved Monday night represents a slightly less than a five percent increase over last year’s tax extension (the amount the city actually received in property tax revenue). Like most other taxing bodies in the county, the City of Gillespie typically levies for more than what it can actually receive, relying on the County Clerk to adjust the final levy to generate the maximum amount of revenue to which the city is entitled.
The newly approved levy ordinance requests $74,674 for Corporate purposes, compared with $71,186 last year; $32,149 for Police Protection, compared with $39,648 last year; $43,558 for Streets and Bridges, compare with $41,524 a year ago; $12,441 for Emergency Services and Disaster Administration, compared with 11,860 last year; $72,599 for Liability Insurance, compared with $69,208 a year ago; $18,665 for Parks, compared with $17,794 a year ago; $4,146 for the Municipal Band, compared with $3,955 last year; $130,682 for Social Security, compared with $124,578 last year; and $66,374 for the Public Library, compared with $63,275 last year.
Property tax revenue reportedly accounts for about 10 percent of the city’s annual expenditures.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The council took no action following a 30-minute executive session to discuss a pending agreement with the Laborers Union, which represents Street Department, Water and Sewer Department and Lake employees. The current contract expires in January. The last collective bargaining agreement, approved two years ago, provided city employees with a $1 per hour wage increase.
The council reportedly plans to convene a special meeting to take formal action on the contract.
STREETSCAPE ISSUES
As a result of lengthy discussion about issues pertaining to the ongoing Streetscape Project, Mayor Landon Pettit directed city personnel to reach out to area contractors from whom portable, temporary streetlights can be rented. Pettit said he had contacted one contractor himself who had one unit available at a cost of $1,095 per month. Ethan Martin, who is overseeing the project on behalf of the city, said he would contact Stutz Excavating, the general contractor, to see if they had lighting units to deploy.
“We can’t wait anymore,” Pettit said, citing safety issues. “We’ve got to do something.”
Downtown has been without streetlights for more than a month and delivery of backordered lights has been pushed back to Jan. 6. Ald. J.Q. Halteman suggested installing wooden posts with lights attached, but Pettit said Ameren has not yet run wiring through the underground conduit associated with the project.
The temporary lights will operate off diesel-powered generators. City personnel will start the generators at dusk and turn them off during the day. Lights will be strategically positioned to avoid disturbing downtown apartment dwellers.
Pettit also reported he has received complaints from businesses who say the project has impacted their sales.
“We have a couple of businesses, one in particular, that have been pretty affected,” Pettit said. “They’re afraid they may have to go out of business” unless the city can provide financial relief for business loss. He said he looked into the possibility of using Tax Increment Fund monies to compensate businesses but found the city cannot legally use those funds for that purpose.
Several council members voiced concerns about setting a precedent that could quickly spiral out of control.
“I don’t know of any way we can legally compensate them,” said Ald. Wendy Rolando. “The best thing we can do is keep working to get the project done.”
Miners Restaurant reportedly incurred business loss as while the sidewalk in front of the business was torn up. Martin said the contractor is tearing out one side of the sidewalk at a time to cause minimal disturbance to local businesses. During construction a sidewalk of at least four feet in width has been accessible, and a temporary walkway was provided between the remaining sidewalk and the front door.
Martin told the council that no business has been deprived of access to their front doors. “They may not have been able to park in front,” he said, “but they’ve all had access to their front door.”
According to Martin, sidewalk work in the 300 block of South Macoupin has been stymied by unexpected cold weather. Pouring concrete in freezing weather is not ideal for curing. The contractor expects to pour the sidewalk as soon as weather allows and has pledged to complete work in the 300 block of South Macoupin before moving on to the next block. Assuming the sidewalk can be completed before the end of the year, plans are to suspend construction until early spring.
Pettit said there also have been complaints about a “lip” associated with an ADA ramp at the intersection nearest the Illinois Coal Mining Museum. Martin said the museum plans to move its main entrance to align with an ADA ramp, which will alleviate the problem. In the meantime, city workers plan to mark the potential tripping hazard with yellow paint.
PLUM STREET PROJECT
Council members unanimously accepted a revised engineer’s estimate for the Plum Street reconstruction project. Brian Kulick of Juneau and Associates Engineers, Inc., Granite City, provided paperwork putting the project’s overall cost at $420,000. Additionally, the council approved a Motor Fuel Tax estimate for the project totaling $341,407. That document will be submitted to the Illinois Department of Transportation to secure authorization for using MFT funds for the project.
Juneau and Associates was hired in October as the city’s engineers after the city’s previous firm allegedly botched the submission of paperwork to IDOT, delaying the start of the project until spring 2026. Community Unit School District 7 has committed about $190,000 in Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) grant funds to the project, expecting to release those funds when work begins.
Plum Street between LJ Avenue and Kelly Street began to seriously deteriorate after the school district rerouted school bus traffic onto the street to facilitate coordinating start times at all three attendance centers. The project will include milling and resurfacing, reconstruction of the roadway base, grading and shaping ditches, driveway aprons and storm sewer improvements.
LIFT STATION PUMPS
Speaking as the city’s Sewer Department manager, Martin advised the council it should anticipate replacing several lift station pumps in the near future. At a lift station near Hickory Street, both pumps have failed, and are being rebuilt by Vandalia Pump and Motor. In a lift station at the lagoon, one of the two pumps have failed.
The Hickory Street pumps were installed in 2024 at a cost of about $50,000 each. The pumps are not subject to warranty. Martin said he is seeking prices on replacing the pumps.
For the lagoon lift station, Martin said he has a spare pump but is waiting for someone come to install it.
For the future, Martin said the council should consider buying new pumps to bring both lift stations up to date.
“In my opinion, any pump in the sewer system needs to be a chopper/grinder pump,” Martin said. The failing pumps in both lift stations are not chopper/grinder units. As long as the city relies on regular pumps, Martin said, “they’re just going to continue to burn out.”
The mayor referred the issue to committee for further consideration. He said the Sewer Department has a couple of outstanding loans that will be paid off soon, freeing up some cash flow that could be used to purchase new pumps.
“Let’s put in the right pumps so we don’t have to keep replacing or rebuilding pumps every year or so,” Pettit said.
PROPERTY SALES
The council agreed to sell six acres of surplus property located at the end of Hickory Street near the former site of the city’s sewer plant to Erik Fisko for $18,000. Fisko was the only bidder for the property which was declared surplus and advertised for sale last month. Fisko owns adjoining property. The city will retain an easement for a sewer line running under the six-acre parcel.
With one dissenting vote, the council also agreed to sell two lots in the 600 block of Spruce Street to Mike Bellovich, a developer who plans to build duplexes on the property. The property generated no bids when it was first declared as surplus and advertised for bids two years ago, enabling the city to sell it without seeking additional bids.
“My opinion is that $4,000 for two lots is too cheap,” said Ald. Dona Rauzi, who cast the sole “no’ vote on the sale.
“We’ve had this property for several years and no one wanted to bid on it,” Mayor Pettit said. “He wants to build on it, so it will be generating revenue instead of us spending money to maintain it.”
On the advice of City Attorney Rick Verticchio, the council opened a bid from Phil Kaduk for 57 acres of wooded property adjacent to Gillespie Lake but took no action on it because the bid was submitted after Friday’s deadline for bids.
Verticchio said that since the parcel has been offered for bid and no bids were accepted, the council “can sell it for whatever you want with a three-fourths majority.” Kaduk offered $230,000 for the acreage, which the council may or may not choose to accept at a later date.
DERELICT PROPERTIES
After a brief discussion regarding derelict properties in the city, Mayor Pettit directed aldermen to canvass their own wards to report potential nuisance properties.
Mayor Pettit reported that a contractor has completed demolition and clean-up at a nuisance property at the intersection of Spruce and Shelby streets, and that the city should soon receive a bill for the work. He said the court granted permission to the city to enter the property and clean it up.
Verticchio reported that the property owner for a nuisance property in the 400 block of Baker Street has been ordered by the court to testify regarding damage at the residence.
“The insurance company has a right to take sworn testimony from the insured,” Verticchio said. Such testimony is expected to show whether or not the damage is covered. “If you had a fire and it turns out you started fire, then the insurance company is not going to pay.”
Verticchio said the property owner has evaded giving a sworn statement, resulting in the court issuing a subpoena to compel his testimony. “The city’s interest is that there is money in the policy for clean-up,” Verticchio said.
CITY CREDIT CARDS
After a lengthy discussion, the council agreed to apply for a city credit card, and acquire a Habor Freight credit card.
“There are a lot of things we can get cheaper online, but we have no way doing that other than have an employee pay for it out of pocket and wait two weeks or more to be remimbursed,” Pettit said.
Pettit said a credit card would be preferable to a debit card because the debit card draws from a specific bank account. With the credit card, the city clerk can assign purchases to the proper accounts when paying the monthly bill. According to Pettit, department heads will have authority to approve purchases. Once approved, the employee can get the card from the city clerk, use it and return it.
In separate actions, the council voted to acquire a credit card, and open accounts with Amazon and Harbor Freight.
Pettit said most of the purchases will be items the city currently buys from suppliers at significantly higher prices.
“It’s not things we can buy locally,” he said. Additionally, having a credit card, Amazon account and Harbor Freight account in the city’s names means the purchases will be tax-exempt. Under the current system where employees buy items and seek reimbursement, the city is obligated to pay sales tax.
DC WASTE
The council briefly heard from Brian Demming, owner of DC Waste, one of two trash hauling companies offering services in the city. Deming said he had received a Request For Proposals to offer city-wide trash removal, and urged the council to keep local businesses in mind if and when the city opts to offer city-wide trash services.
“We’re a family-owned business trying to stay alive in a corporate world,” Deming said, noting the Republic Service juggernaut to take over waste hauling in the region. Deming alleged the corporate strategy is to “put guys like me out of business.”
“In the past, you had several haulers to choose from,” he said. “Now you have two.”
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the council:
Approved four resolutions authorizing expenditures of Tax Increment Financing funds in the following amounts:
• $43,338 to reimburse the General Fund and Redevelopment Fund for TIF-eligible expenditures:
- $25,000 to United Community Bank
- $19,950 to Carlinville Glass Cutters for glass installed at City Hall
- $2,222.12 to DeeDee’s Florals for a facade grant
- $894 to Moran Economic Development, Inc. for work completed in regard to the city’s second Tax Increment Finance district
• Approved a $230,889.61 payment to Stutz Excavating for work completed on the Streetscape project
• Approved a liquor license application from Mike Hailstone for Lumpy’s Bar and Grill
• Accepted a facade grant application for 110 South Macoupin Street.
• Authorized expenditure of up to $3,000 for Bettis Truck Repair, Hettick, to install a metal liner in the city’s dump truck
• Approved Christmas bonuses of $150 for city employees
• Approved a resolution affirming the Zoning Board’s decision to rezone 709 Staunton Road from Commercial to Residential.
• Agreed to allow Edwin Kingston to install a manufactured home on a permanent foundation at 201 Southern Street.
• Voted to approve the promotion of Gillespie Police Officer Christian Abner to the rank of Sergeant
• Directed the City Attorney to prepare a draft ordinance making Elm Street permanent one-way street where the street loops around the high school parking lot and passes in front of the school district administrative offices. The street currently is one-way during school hours only.
• Agreed to purchase a 2016 Ford 350 with 200,000 miles from Kinney Contractors to replace a truck used by the Sewer Department
• Declared the former Gillespie Police Department building as surplus property and list it with a realtor for sale.
Comments
Members of the Macoupin County Board, meeting in Carlinville Tuesday night, accepted a $6 million property tax levy, approved a spending plan for proceeds of a Energy Transition grant and approved a $1.8 million request for the 2026 Motor Fuel Tax road and bridge maintenance program.
The levy, approved unanimously, calls for $6,015,305 to be raised in 2025 property taxes payable in 2026. The new levy compares with $5,653,691 levied a year ago for taxes payable in 2025.
Broken down by line item, the levy expects to raise $2,353,607 for Corporate purposes, compared with $2,087,944 a year ago; $265,353 for Public Health, compared with $265,285 last year; $584,005 for the Highway Department, compared with $534,056 a year ago; $239,895 for Special Bridge, compared with $239,924 last year; $424,188 to match Federal Aid funds, compared with $397,666 last year; $77,268 for Developmentally Disabled programs, compared with $62,399 a year ago; $198,000 for Mental Health, compared with $193,299 last year; #397,468 for Social Security, compared with $397,492 a year ago; $864,035 for IMRF, compared with $864,094 last year; and $611,486 for Tort Liability, compared with $611,532 last year.
Like all taxing bodies in the Macoupin County, county government is restricted by the Property Tax Extension Law (PTELL), approved by county voters in 1995. Under PTELL, the county can raise property taxes by no more than than five percent of the previous year’s tax extension or the current Consumer Price Index, whichever is less. The current CPI, essentially the national rate of inflation, is 2.9 percent.
If PTELL requires a reduction in the total tax rate, the cuts will be made to the rates for Corporate and Federal Matching Funds.
The 2025 tax rate will be calculated based on a total Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) of nearly $950 million—an increase of nearly $80 million over last year’s estimated EAV of $871,576,810. The increasing EAV has the potential to drive the tax rate (the number by which the EAV must be multiplied to yield the legally allowable tax extension) downward for the ninth consecutive year since 2016.
The approved levy does not include rates included on property owners’ tax bills for Veterans Assistance, special ambulance service districts and the University of Illinois.
Local property tax revenue accounts for about 20 percent of the county’s overall budget.
MOTOR FUEL TAX RESOLUTION
By a unanimous vote, the board approved Motor Fuel Tax resolution in the amount of $1,790,750 for the calendar year starting Jan. 1. County Engineer Tom Reinhardt said the resolution will be submitted to the Illinois Department of Transportation for routine approval. The appropriation will cover the cost of road oil, gravel and road salt for the coming year.
In a related action, the board approved a resolution to appropriate $144,300 in Motor Fuel Tax funds for the County Engineer’s salary from Jan. 1-Dec. 31.
ENERGY TRANSITION GRANT
On the recommendation of the Economic Development Committee, the board approved a spending plan an expected $189,000 Energy Transition Community grant. Similar to the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), the Energy Transition grant is meant to reimburse counties impacted by coal mine closures. The funds are designated for economic development, clean energy initiatives, workforce development, tourism, and planning initiatives.
The Committee held a public hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 3, to hear input from the public regarding potential projects to be funded with grant funds.
Pursuant to the spending plan approved by the board, $100,000 will be devoted to the Old County Jail for planning and improvements to enhance tourism opportunities. A project to upload existing maps of underground coal mines to the county’s Geographic Information System (GIS) will be funded with $30,000. A total of $20,000 will be invested with Great Rivers and Routes for tourism promotion, and $5,000 will be spent to develop QR codes for self-guided tours of the Courthouse and Old Jail.
The county plans to spend $15,000 to create a grant writers group to assist Macoupin County communities with writing applications for state and federal grants.
The county expects to put $19,000 toward the Linwood Lane bridge over Honey Creek south of the former Monterey Coal Mine location.
HOTEL TAX
Also on the recommendation of the Economic Development Committee the board unanimously approved a revised Hotel Tax Ordinance that clarifies the definitions to include Airbnbs located in unincorporated areas of the county.
Under the ordinance, which has been in place since 2005, lodging businesses located in unincorporated areas of the county are required to pay a five percent tax on an annual basis.
“We have unincorporated areas in the county that have Airbnbs that were not counted,” County Clerk Pete Duncan reported. He said he conducted a Google search to find Airbnbs that would be subject to the tax and found only a “handful.”
The ordinance does not impact lodging facilities located within municipal limits in the county.
“I want to thank Pete (Duncan) for his work on this,” said Holly Klausing, committee chair.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Following a 30-minute executive session to discuss personnel, the board voted unanimously to give the Public Safety Committee power to act on hiring a new Animal Control. The position has been vacant since former manager Emily Gerl resigned last month. Former manager Buzie Bertagnolli has been working about 20 hours a week, pending the hiring of Gerl’s replacement.
Leann Barr, chair of the Public Safety Committee, reported the committee has received several applications for the Animal Control spot and will soon begin interviews.
On a motion by Kristi Dunnagan, the board also voted unanimously to increase Grant Manager Joseph Chirwa’s annual salary from $60,000 to $85,845. Chirwa, who was hired in June, recently received an external job offer at a higher salary.
FIRST QUARTER BUDGET REPORT
County Clerk Duncan reported that at the end of the first quarter of the fiscal year, revenue is lagging behind expectations. The county has received only 17 percent of projected revenue, and revenue lags $344,000 behind the same time last year.
Revenue from income tax and sales tax has stagnated, Duncan noted.
“You remember a time when those revenue streams were consistently increasing,” Duncan reported. “That’s not the case anymore. Those line items are not sources of additional revenue. Our revenue is going to be pretty flat.”
Meanwhile, expenditures are reported at 35 percent of what the board budgeted for the entire fiscal year.
“At this point, you’d want them to be 25 percent or less, ideally,” Duncan said. Reported expenditures, however, include a one-time fund transfer of $1.2 million. “If you strip that out, we are close to what it should be.”
PROPERTY OFFERED FOR SALE
The board unanimously adopted a resolution to offer 14 acres of surplus property near the Animal Control Shelter for sale via sealed bid.
Bids will be accepted until Jan. 23, with a bid opening set for Jan. 27 during the Economic Development Committee’s regular meeting.
RULES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AMENDED
Without further discussion, the board unanimously approved amendments to the County Board Rules of Order. The document outlines the order in which business is conducted during County Board meetings, and is largely unchanged from the previous Rules of Order with the exception that a one paragraph section regarding public comments has been replaced with a four-page, multiple section explanation of rules governing public comments to the board.
The changes were reviewed by the General Administrative Committee on Nov. 6, which voted to recommend the amendments to the full board.
Under the revised rules, persons wishing to address the board must register prior to the meeting with their name and the subject they wish to address. As in the past, a time limit of five minutes is imposed with a maximum of 30 minutes set aside for public comment near the beginning of the meeting.
Registered speakers who intend to use handouts or visual aids must provide copies at least 24 hours before the meeting to ensure the board has proper equipment on hand to display the materials. Materials are subject to approval by the Board Chair.
Under a section titled “Decorum and Relevance,” the rules require speakers to confine their comments to issues that fall “within the jurisdiction of the Macoupin County Board or items listed on the agenda.” Speakers must direct their comments to the Chair and the Board as whole, rather than individual elected officials or staff members. Personal attacks, slanderous remarks, vulgar or threatening language are prohibited. The section also prohibits using the public comment period for political campaigning. The Chair is empowered to rule a speaker out of order if he or she violate any of the “decorum and relevance” rules.
“The Chair reserves the right to close public comment if, after issuing a warning, audience members persist in cheering, booing or otherwise being disruptive,” according to the new rules of order.
The Chair also is empowered to order the removal of individuals who continue to speak after being ruled out of order, according to the revised rules.
Elected officials and staff members are not required to immediately answer questions from speakers. Instead, elected officials and employees can answer questions later, or the questions may be referred to committee for review.
The new rules also describe parameters under which members of the public can record board proceedings. The rules basically require that recording equipment be unobtrusive, prohibits placing microphones within the area designated for board members, restricts persons recording proceedings to remain in an area designated for spectators.
FEDERAL SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDITS
The board unanimously approved a resolution urging the governor and General Assembly to opt into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program. Under the program, taxpayers can receive tax credit for up to $1,700 donated to recognized scholarship grant organizations. The program is targeted at low income and disadvantaged students and encourages funding for educational services such as tutoring, supplemental instruction, instructional materials, college admission exam fees and other resources. The resources will be available to both public and private school students in Illinois if the state opts into the program.
Illinois taxpayers can receive tax credits for donations to scholarship funds regardless of whether or not the state opts into the program. However, without the state’s participation, benefits from the program will go to students in other states that have chosen to opt into the program.
Illinois reportedly is among a handful of states that have not opted to participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program.
EXECUTIVE SESSION MINUTES RELEASED
The boat voted unanimously to release minutes from the executive sessions held by the full board on May 13, June 10, Oct. 14 and Nov. 13, along with Economic Development Committee executive sessions held on April 29, May 27, June 9 and Dec. 3, the July 1 and Nov. 13 executive sessions held by the Public Safety Committee, and the Oct. 9 executive session for the General Administrative Committee.
The board chose to keep minutes sealed for the board’s executive session on Jan. 14 because discussions related to potential litigation, and the Building and Grounds Committee’s executive on on Sept. 25 because of discussions related to the potential purchase of property.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
• Voted to destroy audio recordings of board meetings from May 2024 and prior in accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
• Gave the Building and Grounds Committee power to act on awarding a contract to replace carpeting in the Circuit Clerk’s office as a result of the ongoing HVAC project.
• Voted to approve a schedule of board meetings and committee meetings for 2026. Meetings are set for 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month, except for December when the board will meet on the first Monday to comply with statutory requirements for board reorganization following the mid-term election.
• Declared two used desks from the County Clerk’s office as surplus property and offered them to other governmental agencies. If no one takes the desks, the Clerk’s office is authorized to destroy the desk since the value of the desks is less than the cost of advertising them for sale.
• Reviewed a letter from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency requiring the county to file an updated Solid Waste Disposal plan within the next four months. County Clerk Duncan said the county is required to file an updated plan every five years. The last update was in 2002 when the West Central Illinois Regional Planning Commission wrote the original plan. • Recognized board member Harry Starr for his work and commitment to completing the Courthouse HVAC upgrade, and Elore and Kyle McLaughlin, and Trevor Caudle for volunteer work at the County Animal Control Shelter.
Comments
FELONIES
Andrew K. Ridens, 37 of Staunton, is charged with possession of methamphetamine (<5 grams) in connection with a November 28 incident.
William T. Overturf, 39 of Benld, is charged with unlawful possession of a credit/debit card and theft/unauthorized control (<$500) in connection with a December 2 incident.
Justin A. Collins, 37 of Gillespie, is charged with aggravated fleeing police (21 mph over the limit) and aggravated fleeing (disregarding two or more traffic control devices) in connection with a November 20 incident.
MISDEMEANORS
Bradyn W. Blum, 23 of Gillespie, is charged with criminal trespass to a building in connection with a November 30 incident.
Joseph L. Schnurr, 63 of De Soto, MO, is charged with criminal trespass to a vehicle/physical control and criminal trespass to a building in connection with a November 2 incident.
Noel J. Kennon, 47 of Benld, is charged with criminal trespass to a residence in connection with a December 4 incident.
Aaron M. Slifka, 33 of Livingston, is charged with violation of an order of protection in connection with a November 18 incident.
TRAFFIC
Anna R. Wallace, 41 of Staunton, is charged with canceled/revoked/suspended registration and driving 21-25 mph above the limit in connection with a November 22 incident.
Jonah L. Rogers, 46 of Gillespie, is charged with driving while never issued a license, improper passing of an emergency vehicle, and transporting/carrying alcohol/driver.
Joseph M. Holt, 19 of Milwaukee, WI, is charged with driving while never issued a license and not driving on the right side of the road in connection with a November 28 incident.
Dylan T. Baker, 26 of Gillespie, is charged with speeding 26-34 mph over the limit in connection with a November 27 incident.
Micah D. Cooper, 25 of Saint Louis, MO, is charged with speeding 26-34 mph over the limit in connection with a November 27 incident.
Brian L. Breeden Jr, 41 of Carlinville, is charged with driving on a suspended license in connection with a November 21 incident.
Zackarie A. McDuffie, 30 of Nilwood, is charged with driving on a revoked license, unlawful possession of cannabis/driver, and no window treatment/adjacent/driver in connection with a December 2 incident.
DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE FILED
- Cindy Cozad versus Christopher Cozad
MARRIAGE LICENSES
- Zachary V. Sutton and Christine M. Burley Hill, both of Virden.
