The Journal Star did a good job of covering this:
By a 9-1 vote, the City Council approved a tax on natural gas usage, which would equate to roughly $24 to $25 a year for the typical residential customer of Ameren Illinois….
Originally, the council had planned to approve a 3.5-cent-per-therm – a measurement of gas use – tax that would generate $6 million a year, resulting in $32.97 more in annual residential bills.
Fourth District Councilman Bill Spears, though, recommended a cheaper 2.5-cent-per-therm tax [which could generate roughly $4.3 million annually].
Proponents of the new revenue stream say it will allow the City to keep those police and firefighter positions that were threatened to be eliminated. They also point out that the tax applies to all natural gas users, including non-for-profit institutions like hospitals and churches, thus spreading the pain among a larger base than other proposed taxes. Critics say it protects wasteful spending that should be cut first before new revenues are added. They also say it will present a hardship on many households, especially those on a fixed income, and at the worst possible time — as we’re heading into winter.
So it’s not OK for Ameren to raise their rates without going through the state’s long approval process. But the city can basically do the same thing with only 15 minutes of discussion and bypass the state? Doesn’t seem right to me. I guess as long as the money goes to government, all is fair game.
vote with your feet, people. There are houses for sale outside the city.
3 incumbents are running for re election. Make a statment.
they waste so much money and then gouge us again and again, but their are no jobs how unfair can you get what a joke how the city is run just bull and steal from us
The Journal Star is lighting up!
There are actually people who are suggesting we get behind our city council. You know…the typical “together we can weather the storm” kind of thing. Hells Bells, there are even those who are coming at us with the “what’s your problem people, its only a couple of bucks a month” song and dance!?!
Do I need to explain why either of these two…’attitudes’ irritates the viagra out of me?
new voice writes we are for the crack cocaine users oh my god another tax I can’t pay anymore gouging us for their bad decisions, that crack cocaine has the full support of the city council Isn’t it true to support crack users a bad decision also
new voice another tax in the list of fifty taxes already, I re track my previous statement about a couple bucks, its a joke just gouging us more. There a lot wrong with it, when does out government have responsility
n/a,
OK
Gosh guys, it’s only the poor, the unemployed, the elderly on fixed incomes this is gonna hurt. They can go to OSF and feel better. Christ we need to dump Turner and the rest of them.
If you all don’t support the proposed new tax, what would you personally like to see cut out of the city budget to the tune of $3 million?
Em, you’re the same guy that supports the D150 tax increase. Guess higher taxes are okay when it’s not your ox being gored.
There are houses for sale outside of the state! And with much lower tax rates!
ah, good ol troll…er…nontimendum. They should raise the proeprty taxes. Inventing another tax or fee is nuts plain and simple. I wouldn’t like a property tax increase either, but it is fair all around. Watch and see how OSF and others weasel out of this new tax.
Lately some users have been calling other users “trolls” just because they don’t agree with them. Cut that crap out, OK? If you can’t further your point without name calling then maybe you should be watching DWTS or something like that.
“Gotta Ask” I think we regularly catalog the boondoggles, from museums to hotels to trails to the Gateway Building, etc., etc. They should all be zeroed out. When you increase taxes beyond what is necessary for police, fire, sanitation and similar govt. service needs you are just taking money from people that would otherwise be spent at local businesses. So local businesses will lay people off so you can employ another bureaucrat at City Hall. Then you raise taxes again, because less sales tax and so forth is collected. People start to move out. Less people, less tax collection, so you raise taxes again. More people move out. We are in that vicious cycle, and it won’t end until you make the drastic cuts and do things to entice people and business to come back. It’s very difficult, but it can be done. Raising taxes is not the answer, and, Emtronics, a property tax is the most UNFAIR tax. Maybe the big “Nonprofits” will “weasel out” but don’t just assume that. It would be better to propose a lower property tax in exchange for the utility tax.
water tax would be fair; it affects everyone, not just natural gas users.
How about an incarceration fee of $500 a day?
“If you all don’t support the proposed new tax, what would you personally like to see cut out of the city budget to the tune of $3 million?”
The TIFs.
The $9 million we are giving Matthews.
The salaries and staffs of the city council and mayor.
Nanny nanny: I didn’t invent the word “troll” but if you are worried about name calling because people don’t agree, where were you on some other blogs or the PJS forums? A troll is a troll
Mouse: Since I doubt OSF pays “property taxes” or very little of them if they do because they are non-profit and other non-profits don’t either, then a property tax increase wouldn’t spread the “hurt” around fairly. This city has fees and taxes already and I simply object to them dreaming up a new one. Why not simply raise one of the ones we have now? Like doubling the Garbage Fee or increasing sales tax or don’t the hospitals and non profits pay that either?
Troll? Your definition of troll must be anyone who disagrees with you. You’re the worst one on the local blogs for being able to dish it out but not take it.
Unfortunately, there are a few here who have no tolerance for people who disagree with them.
Still waiting for them to ‘give up their Salary’ to help lower the SPENDING .
Maybe NO MORE “TIFs” . If Matthews wants to Invest then he should not get a form of “KICK BACK “. The garbage Fee was sold as providing way for more Cops for South side patrols !! it brought in so much more. they could not give it up .And cops are gone ! Hey lets do away with Mayor’s position and just have a City manager. That would save on Stationary !! How about NO MORE OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS being hired for ANY thing.Is the Brain Trust here that low ? Fix The “WPA PROJECT”= Sheridan RD. once and for all! Something is wrong when EVERY Year it is dug up over&over ! Something wrong with CONCRETE Supplied? or is it just incompetence? We could go on& on!
Emtronics, I suspect that those big NONPINO’s (“Non-Profits in name only”) do not pay sales tax
District 150 wrote,
“Unfortunately, there are a few here who have no tolerance for people who disagree with them.”
District,
I am greatly saddened that you did not mention my name as someone who routinely disagrees with everyone. I also have little or no tolerance for anyone, even if they agree with me!!!
I am going to suggest to the city council that they create a ‘special tax’ for people who post on blog sites.
Thank you for your time.
New Voice is a troll!!! 🙂
District 150 is a troll! How in the hell do you know what I can take and dish out? 🙂
Did anyone see where they are going to give non-union and union anywhere from 3-5% increases? If they didn’t give these raises it would surely save $ 3 million. And if the union would not give back the raises then there should be more layoffs no matter whose department it is in. It only makes sense!
It’s a cycle in the public sector. Raise union wages, then raise non-union wages the same percentage, raise union wages, then raise non-union wages the same percentage, raise union wages…………
If the private sector operates like the public sector, promotion and wages based on seniority, yearly demanded salary and thus pension increases for all; the disatrous “herd” philosophy, we will soon become like Greece, Portugal, etc.
In fact, we may have moved too far to the left to correct.
AS to District #150, not one of the people on the board would be invited by the private sector to sit on any board approaching an $160,000,000 budget.
I guess the taxpayers as a whole have no problem with the system as the only moves I see to change this failed system is private schools and private charter schools.
Did you note the pensions school administrators in the area are receiving? No wonder retail sales are strong in Peoria. I doubt those capable but unemployed are driving the local retail market.
Doctors or attorneys or stockbrokers as good businesspeople on boards dealing with financial matters? No, as a businessman for 36 years, I observed that few doctors understand economics as most all hired outside consultants to manage their finances and offices.
Myself, I hired as permanent employees those who had the more expertise in fields of finance, technology, etc. that I didn’t. But I understood marketing and financial numbers and had the power to hire, promote, make mistakes, corrected the mistakes or go broke, determined compensation and laid-off and fired when necessary.
Not one union grievance in 22 years and the union still operates at the company I started and the company still bears my name almost 19 years after I sold the company.
Not bragging; just the facts since they will never appear in the JS.