But we won’t know for a couple of days whether monthly collection will start in May or September.  There’s some question whether Illinois American can change their billing process quickly enough to start collecting monthly in May.

The switch to a monthly fee was opposed by council members Sandberg, Van Auken, and Grayeb.  Grayeb has a deep-seated hatred for Illinois American Water Company, and he feels the company is profiting from collecting this fee for the city.  That’s why he voted against it.  Sandberg and Van Auken voted against it because it doesn’t address the root problem — as Sandberg put it, it’s “putting sugar on” a poor funding decision by the previous council; it hides a bogus tax.