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Report on the State of the City of Taylorville, Illinois
City of Taylorville
A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
Jim Montgomery, Jr.
Report on the State of the City of Taylorville, Illinois
Presented by Jim Montgomery, Jr., Mayor
March 3, 2003
“t he Mayor… annually shall, give the corporate authorities information concerning the affairs of the municipality….“ (Illinois Compiled Statutes)
Dear Taylorville Resident:
Each year, as your Mayor, I have provided a review of the progress and events of the previous year to the City Council and the citizens of this City through regular updates, interviews with the local radio station, articles in the local newspaper, as well as through speeches to various civic groups. This year, this formal report on the status of the City of Taylorville has been prepared to inform the City Council and our citizens of the progress and events of their City during the past year – in order to provide a more in-depth review of these activities. I think that you will see that we certainly continue to make the transition from our former status as a small community to that of an active and progressive City.
I thank you for your support over the past year, and I look forward to a happy, healthy, and vibrant 2003.
Sincerely,
Jim Montgomery, Jr., Mayor
Fiscal
Audit/Budget:
In December 2002, the City of Taylorville received our Final Audit for the Fiscal Year 2002, ending on April 30th, 2002. The City’s actual expenditures for FY 2002 were $9,461,511 with $9,814,878 in total revenues. The auditors, from an independent local firm, commended the City for balancing the needs of our citizens with the limited resources available –especially in terms of the City’s preparedness for federal and state economic conditions. The state eliminated the municipal share of the photo-processing tax in 2002 – resulting in an annual loss of approximately $25,000 in revenue for the City. The budget for FY 2002 remained steady in terms of revenues, expenditures, and salaries.
The auditors further commended the City for our prudence in restructuring water rates for the first time in nearly twenty years; the lack of increases had resulted in substandard rates that could no longer adequately fund the water account. The rate increases and the bond restructuring of the water bonds allowed for the completion of the Lake Restoration Project.
Sales Tax:
The City of Taylorville generally receives in excess of 20% - or one in five dollars - of total revenue from sales tax receipts. The City’s portion equals 1% of total sales within the City of Taylorville—or .01 on each $1 expended. There were over $200 Million in taxable sales within the City of Taylorville during the period from May 1, 2001 to April 30, 2002 – of this amount, the City received 1%, or $2,010,451.52. This amount represents the largest portion of the City’s revenues. Below is a graph illustrating the amount of sales tax receipts by the City from FY1998 through FY2002
Fiscal
The City has experienced extraordinary growth in sales tax receipts during the past five years. The average amount of growth has been 5.7% during these years. During the past Fiscal Year (2002), the amount of growth was 9.21% over the previous fiscal year. As has been the trend both at the state and national level, sales tax receipts have slowed during the first half of FY 2003.
Real Estate Tax:
The second largest source of revenue for the City of Taylorville is the tax on real property. The total equalized assessed valuation (EAV) of property within the City is approximately $91 Million. The residents of the City have varying tax rates based upon the other various taxing bodies. The City’s portion of the overall tax amount has fluctuated over the past five years; however, it has reduced in each of the last two years. Below is a chart illustrating the City portion of the overall property tax collections:
Fiscal
Below is a graph that illustrates how your property tax bill is divided among the various taxing bodies:
*Note: Other Taxing bodies includes: the University of
Illinois Cooperative Extension, the Christian County
Senior Citizens, and the Taylorville Sanitary District
Construction Projects/Department Activity
Lake:
The past year saw the completion of the final phase of the PL-566 Lake Restoration Project. The South Fork Silt Retention Dam, which alone will impact over half of the flow into Lake Taylorville, was completed during the fall. Along with the construction on the silt dam, the City was responsible to complete 11 additional smaller roadway access projects as agreed with several of the individual landowners.
This has been a $3 Million multi-phase project (with the planning phases beginning in 1987), which has been vital to the preservation of our community’s principal water source and our greatest natural resource. With the construction of 11 small silt structures and two of the largest silt dams in the Midwest, the City was required to obtain flooding easements on scores of different properties and also over Township, County, and utility companies’ rights-of-way. We are not aware of a community in the State of Illinois that has completed a lake restoration project of this size. This project was awarded the top honor for Watershed Planning Effort of the Year in 2001 by the NRCS for the state of Illinois.
It would not have been possible to complete this project without the cooperation and support of the citizens of the City of Taylorville, several utility companies, the residents of the watershed area, the Christian County Board and Highway Department, the legislature and several agencies of the State of Illinois, and various agencies of the federal government.
As a continuation of the preservation of Lake Taylorville, a Lake Development and Planning Ad Hoc Committee was appointed in February to research and analyze the issues of dredging, residential and recreational development, and overall planning efforts.
Street and Sewer:
The Taylorville Street and Sewer Departments were involved in several projects during 2002. Twenty-seven (27) blocks of city streets were resurfaced in the annual Overlay Program. Since the program began in 1995, 75% of the City’s streets have been refurbished.
Adams Street from Houston to Simpson Streets was widened and rebuilt along with the installation of the third phase of the Ward III and IV Storm Sewer Project. The price for this phase of construction was $686,000.00, 50% of which was grant funding through the Community Development Assistant Program (CDAP), through the State of Illinois. This entire project began in 1996 with 13,798 total feet of storm sewer installed. This project has cost $1,579,000.00 to date, with 70% of the funding from state grants. This project was rerouted from the original plan in order to save a brick street in good condition (Vandeveer), while replacing a brick street in poor condition (Adams). Along with this project, Vandeveer Street, west of Houston Street, was rebuilt and refurbished following the installation of the storm sewer in this neighborhood.
Over 2,000 feet of storm sewer pipe was installed along Sunset Drive, near Lake Taylorville. This was the first phase to improve drainage in a growing residential area. The next phase will involve the restructuring and realignment of the East Lake Shore Drive/Sunset Drive intersection. This will allow for better traffic flow through the area.
The City’s portion of Northern Avenue was rebuilt, including drainage, as a result of the increased traffic flow as an alternative route to the Northwest Corridor. A one block section is out of the City limits and under the jurisdiction of the Taylorville Township Road Commissioner. This project cost $50,909.00 (MFT money was used) and was completed in September 2002.
The sanitary sewer line on Cherokee Street, which was built in 1893, collapsed during the summer; 411 feet of the collapsed line was replaced through the cooperation of the City of Taylorville, the Taylorville Sanitary District, and the State of Illinois. The total project low bid was $209,000; pay estimate one was $135,431.00, and additional expenses to date are approximately $63,000.00; however, the City of Taylorville received a $100,000 Emergency CDAP grant, greatly reducing the burden on local taxpayers for this repair. The balance of the cost of this project was evenly cost-shared by the City and the Sanitary District.
As a result of the voluminous storm waters that descended on the City in the spring, the City has begun a complete analysis of our storm water drainage system. Although the City of Taylorville has spent $2,097,846.75 on storm sewers in the last decade, the need for further drainage is great. Under the direction of our City Engineer several projects were prioritized for action in the future as grant funds become available.
The City purchased a used bucket truck, a Caterpillar IT 38 loader, a Caterpillar 430D IT backhoe, and a sewer camera fitted with tracks for use in the Street and Sewer Departments.
Water:
The City Of Taylorville Water Department has undertaken some changes during the past year with the greatest change being the first water rate increase in almost 20 years. With this increase we were able to start an upgrade of our construction fleet with the purchase of a Cat IT28G loader, a Case IH 155 tractor, an Ingersoll Rand P185 portable air compressor, and a Knight 8032 sludge slinger. The Case, the Cat and the Knight slinger are used in the disposal of our lime sludge that is a byproduct of our treatment process. This sludge is valuable to farmers for pH adjustment of their fields that they use in place of purchasing agricultural lime. In the past year we spread over 1500 tons of lime sludge.
We also used the funds from the water rate increase to start an upgrade of our existing facilities with the first area being our filter controls. We have replaced two of our four filter controls and have plans to replace the remaining two next year. We have also been doing testing with new polymer feed units to improve the efficiency and cost performance of our treatment process.
We increased our customer base with 20 new services and added about 1000 ft. of new water mains. We repaired 16 water main breaks and repaired numerous service leaks. We purchased and installed a new pump in well #4 as part of an ongoing maintenance program and had the old pump refurbished at a cost savings of $8,000 over a new pump. This also will reduce the down time of well rehab from two months to two days.
We have had inspections from IDOL and ILEPA in the past year. The EPA inspection is an evaluation that we incur approximately every three years. EPA checks our entire process from start to finish including but not limited to; every piece of treatment; equipment, records of sampling, maintenance, and operational reports. They also check Cross Connection Control Program, Technical Capacity, Managerial Capacity, Financial Capacity and Emergency Preparedness.
We have finally seen the completion of the Kincaid intergovernmental cooperation water project. We have been addressing all our operational policies to insure both security and efficiency in the department.
The last item that is being funded by the water rate increase is a new water tower. We have started planning on a 1.5 million gallon standpipe with the next year being devoted to design engineering and land acquisition. Once this tower is completed we will have approximately one day’s usage of water in reserves for fire, large main breaks, etc. This will also help us stabilize our flows through the treatment plant and create better efficiency for the treatment process.
We have had new billing software installed with an Automated Meter Reading System which we will be partially implementing this year and then more fully implementing in the next few years.
Airport:
The City began negotiations with the landowners for the acquisition of property for the new East-West Crosswind Runway Project. In December, the City signed a Letter of Intent with the Illinois Department of Transportation – Division of Aeronautics for the construction phase of this project. This total project is estimated to cost over $4 Million; however, 96.5% of the cost is expected from federal, state, and private sources – with only 3.5% of the cost provided by local taxpayer dollars. When completed, the airport will be able to serve virtually all incoming and outgoing air traffic. In today’s business world, more corporations are utilizing private aircraft, and the presence of a quality local airport is vital to attracting new businesses. A proposed future phase will include the extension of the main runway to 5000 feet, with the capability of landing small jet traffic.
Cemetery:
Oak Hill Cemetery has four full-time employees – including the Cemetery Sexton – with two college and two seasonal employees. In 2002, there were a total of 156 burials. There are also two cemetery clean up days annually. New equipment purchased in 2002 included a new mower, a backhoe, and a yard “vacuum” to pick up grass, leaves, pine needles, and pine cones.
A new database – with Internet access - was created to allow the public to utilize this service to find the graves of loved ones, or to conduct genealogical research. Also, the planning for a new fence along South Cherokee Street was done in 2002, with construction to begin in the spring of 2003.
Health & Building/Animal Control:
The Office of the Health and Building Officer/Animal Control has been very active with steady new building permits – both residential and commercial. The Animal Control aspect of this office has steadily increased each year, to the point that it will become necessary for the City to consider an additional part-time employee to manage this portion of the duties.
Police:
The Taylorville Police Department added one additional full-time police officer in 2002; the total number of officers is 21, with total police department staff at 30. The Department made a total of 629 arrests during 2002: 27 DUI, 91 Illegal Consumption, 122 Warrant Arrests, 31 Domestic Battery Arrests, 32 Battery Arrests, 55 Retail Theft Arrests, 44 Drug Paraphernalia Arrests, 37 Drug Possession Arrests, 41 Public Intoxication Arrests, 25 Disorderly Conduct Arrests, and 124 other arrests. In addition, the Department issued: 712 Traffic Accidents and 906 Traffic Citations Issued.
The following equipment was purchased for the Taylorville Police Department: 2 I-REC Security Cameras; 9 new squad cars (3 – Chevrolet Impalas purchased from Grant Automotive; 3 – Ford Crown Victoria's purchased from Bob Ridings; and, 3 – Dodge Intrepids purchased from Trinity Dodge); 1 Dodge Durango; a new computer for the LEADS system from Computer Techniques; a new CAD System and Server for Dispatcher Records; 4 Portable Radios, and a Laptop Computer.
Fire:
The Fire Department has twelve full-time employees and 30 volunteers. During 2002, the Department responded to 413 fire calls and 871 emergency/rescue calls, for a total of 1,284 calls.
The City purchased a 1999 Platform Tower truck to replace the 1975 ladder truck. This truck was three years old, and was purchased from the North Palos Fire Protection District for $420,000, less than half of the cost of a brand new model.
The Fire Department worked in cooperation with the County, the Taylorville Fire Protection District, the USDA-NRCS, the Boy Scouts, and the City Water Department to construct the first dry-fire hydrant in Christian County.
Over 300 people attended the annual Fire Department Open House, with an additional 450 preschoolers attending various fire prevention programs. Also, members of the Fire Department took the Fire Safety House to various schools, and conducted annual school fire drills.
Emergency Services Center:
The City received a $500,000 grant in November 2000 for the initial planning, design, and land acquisition for a new building for the police and fire departments. In July, the City purchased property near the Municipal Building as the location of the new facility. The planning and design phase continues for the proposed 28,000 square foot building.
Human Resources:
Since the establishment of the Human Resource Manager position in December 2000, there has been an ongoing effort to promote compliance with rules and regulations of all State and Federal Laws. All management personnel attended a training conference in the fall of 2002. The focus of this training was on supervisory skills such as managing under a contract, documentation, harassment claim(s) responsibility, workplace ethics, recognizing signs of abuse in the workplace, workplace safety, and conducting effective interview.
During 2002, the Office of Human Resources started development of orientation training for new employees, summer/seasonal employees and elected officials. The Human Resource Manager is also working toward two certification programs through International Personnel Management Association and the National Public Employer Labor Relations Association. Ongoing training is critical for maintaining knowledge on the various State and Federal Laws and employment issues.
In addition to the utilization of physicians who specialize in “occupational” medicine, the City has contracted with a company to develop physical job demand(s) for each job classification. This will be used for pre-employment issues, work injury related issues, and for purposes of accommodation under the ADA. In 2002, the City appealed our workers compensation annual audit saving the taxpayers $9,231.00 in additional audit premiums. Due to a more proactive approach to risk management, even though our estimated 2003 salaries increased for workers compensation annual premium estimates, we did not see an increase in the total annual workers compensation premium for 2003.
In 2002, we appealed the proposed change in our tier rating by Central Management Services twice. Through these appeal efforts, the City was able to maintain our 2001 tier rating saving an estimated $42,550.00 for fiscal year 2002-2003. The Office of Human Resources is continuing our efforts for compliance with all State and Federal Laws. Policies currently adopted include a City-wide Family Medical Leave Policy, and the current development of a Training/Travel Reimbursement Policy. In 2002, the City completed negotiations with all three (3) bargaining units: AFSCME Local 3349; Taylorville Fire Fighters Union Local 3144; and, Policemen’s Benevolent Labor Committee.
Municipal Building:
During the summer, work was done on the replacement of the roof on the Municipal Building. The building was completed in 1972, and this was the first replacement of the roof since the original construction.
Website:
The City of Taylorville has a presence on the Internet at: www.taylorville.net. This website has timely information about various departmental personnel and duties, office hours, and upcoming events. In the future, the City hopes to post meeting notices and minutes, and allow for certain fees to be paid on-line.
Economic Development:
Christian County Economic Development Corporation
In December, Christian County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) Executive Director, Steve Turner, announced his retirement after nearly three years in the office. He will serve through March 2003. Turner’s background and experience with 29 years at Commonwealth Edison has proven beneficial with the many economic development projects in the community – especially with the potential coalmine.
At the annual meeting of the CCEDC, a sub-committee was appointed – made up of various governmental, industrial, developmental, and educational leaders. The committee held its first meeting in January, and drafted the following mission statement: “To promote a unified regional economic and industrial development effort to create jobs in Christian County.” It is anticipated that this effort will result in a more unified effort to attract jobs to Taylorville and Christian County.
Route 29 Expressway:
In November 2002, the Illinois Department of Transportation awarded the bid for construction on the first phase of the Route 29 Expressway. Initial construction phases are expected to begin in the spring of 2003, from Rochester to Berry. The bid on the second phase of construction (from Taylorville to Sharpsburg) is scheduled to be awarded in the fall of 2003, with construction scheduled for the following spring. Governor Blagojevich has committed to the continuation of the funding for the Illinois Route 29 Expressway project.
Christian Coal Company:
After several years of planning and engineering, the Christian Coal Company applied for the necessary permits to begin construction of their facility north of Taylorville. These permits, one from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and one from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Division of Mines and Minerals, are expected to be received in 2003, with construction anticipated in late 2003 or early 2004. This would be the first new mining operation in Christian County in many years.
Enterprise Zone/Jobs/Expansions:
During 2002 in the Enterprise Zone, 70 properties filed for property tax abatements, of these 51 had actual increases in their assessment. New activity in the Enterprise Zone includes over $750,000 estimated in new projects, with 7 new positions created and 4 positions retained. Since the creation of the Enterprise Zone in 1991, over $49 Million has been invested in projects, with 234 jobs created and 158 jobs retained.
Also, in addition to Enterprise Zone activities, Illinois Consolidated Telephone Company opened a National Directory Assistance operation in the former Heilig-Meijer facility in September. They currently employ 50, with potential to expand. Thornburgh Abatements opened in the Industrial Park, with 15 employees. They have the potential to add nearly a dozen employees in 2003.
Unemployment Rate -2002
Education:
Lincoln Land Community College received over $800,000 for the planning, design and construction of a new, permanent building on the Eastern Region Education Center campus in Taylorville. This facility will replace the four temporary classrooms, including one computer lab.
Cooperation:
Under the leadership of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, a committee was formed dedicated to the “visioning” of Taylorville. The City participated along with the Taylorville School District, Christian County, Taylorville Park District, Lincoln Land Community College – Eastern Region Education Center, Christian County Economic Development Corporation, the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, Taylorville Tourism, and the Christian County Historical Society.
Included in the mission of this group was to determine a better coordinating and marketing of the influence of Abraham Lincoln in the Taylorville community.
Housing:
Christian County Housing Authority
The City has been working with the Christian County Housing Authority (CCHA) and the Taylorville Park District to develop 18 homes adjacent to South School, which would provide additional quality housing and park facilities to this neighborhood.
Housing Subdivision:
During 2002, there was activity at several of the various housing subdivisions, including: the Pines, the Ponderosa, Broaddus Addition (Langley Road), White Oaks II, Dalbey Place, Loranda Subdivision, and Bishop’s Cove. This activity ranged from initial planning to actual construction.
Conclusion:
The year of 2002 has been a very active and productive one for the City of Taylorville. However, our goal is to continue to grow and prosper. The goals of the City for 2003 include: developing a quarterly newsletter to keep our citizens more informed of activities of their City, further develop our municipal website, begin work on a Comprehensive Plan to more thoroughly prepare for the expansion which Taylorville will be experiencing in the next decade.
The primary threat to these goals will be the slowing economy. After several years of very strong growth in our local sales tax, the first six months of FY 2003 indicate that the economic slowdown that has had a damaging effect on national and state revenues, has had a slight effect on local revenues. Through proper planning and fiscal discipline, the City of Taylorville will manage this situation.
There will be a need in the future for the consideration of additional revenues as state and federal budgets are balanced through the reduction in monies which currently flow to municipalities – such as the elimination of the local photo-processing tax in 2002. The total State Shared Revenues (which includes a per capita formula for: State Income Tax, Motor Fuel Tax, State Use Tax, and the Photo processing Tax) has reduced by 12% since FY 2000. In real dollars, this has been a reduction to the City of Taylorville of over $155,000. Also, the demands of a growing city will meet the realities of our current revenue structure.
The most appealing new revenue source would be Home Rule status, whereby the City of Taylorville can collect up to an additional 1% of the sales tax, this would most likely be coupled with a reduction in local property taxes. This would be the most advantageous to our local citizens because the additional sales tax paid would be more than off-set by their reduction in property taxes; and non-residents of Taylorville would pay an increased share of the tax burden. However, Home Rule status must be approved by referendum by the citizens of Taylorville.
Respectfully Submitted – March 17, 2003
Jim Montgomery, Jr., Mayor
City of Taylorville, Illinois
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