Gordon Woods

gwoods@theclintonjournal.com

CLINTON — Commissioner Tom Edmunds reported at the recent city council meeting that state budget action would be easier on the city than anticipated.  A feared 2 percent fee on the collection of sales tax turned out to be applied only to special sales tax, approved by referendum.

“There was a 10 percent reduction in the amount of taxes that are paid to us through the local government distributive fund,” Edmunds said.  “However, that’s a one-time reduction of 10 percent.”

Edmunds said the city would receive 14 payments over the year, which would not only offset the reduction, it would put the city slightly ahead.

There was not a tax freeze as part of the state budget action, as originally feared.  

“But, I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet,” Edmunds said.  “We got a balanced budget, which was good, but there was a lot of stuff that wasn’t done.”

Among those items not addressed was the underfunded pensions liability statewide, which Edmunds pointed out does not directly affect the City of Clinton.  

“But, it affects us all as taxpayers,” he said.

Edmunds said he felt the tax freeze could reemerge later as “a bargaining chip” in the general assembly.

Commissioner John Wise that the water department was having some electrical problems with city wells 10 and 12, located near the YMCA.

“During certain times of the day they will sort of kick themselves out,” Wise said.  “They’re trying to figure it out.”

Wise said Ameren technicians checked power going to the wells.

“They didn’t find any fluctuations on their end.”

A firm that already had done some work for the department was scheduled to troubleshoot the problem.  

Some work also was under way to change filter media at the water plant.

The city is scheduled to begin street seal coating the week of Aug.7.  The city also plans to repaint lines to parking spaces on the square in August or September.