County must amend enterprise zone boundaries
The state is requiring the Saline County Board to amend the boundaries of the Saline County Enterprise Zone as proposed by the board.
Alene Carr of Southeastern Illinois Regional Planning and Development Commission delivered the bad news to the county board during Thursday's meeting. The board had hoped to expand the zone to a planned area of economic development near the Veterans Drive area to help attract new business there. The state contends there must be a current business there to qualify, according to Carr.
"If somebody purchases there we can re-amend it," Carr said.
County Board member Bruce Tolley asked Carr if the state had ever denied a proposed enterprise zone and Carr said it had not to her knowledge. She said there is a new manager for enterprise zones who determined two areas of expansion were eligible and two were not "based on the job creation effort."
"So, in effect we're being hamstrung on this," Tolley said, adding that if someone decides to purchase the property it could be a months' long effort working through the enterprise zone procedure before they could enjoy the benefits of being in an enterprise zone.
"It would be accurate to say the state of Illinois has hamstrung us," Tolley said.
During the meeting:
County Clerk Kim Buchanan said the canvass of the April 7 election occurred April 21 and there were no changes to the unofficial election results.
Treasurer Danny Ragan said the county will end April about $129,000 "in the hole."
"We're always in the hole at the end of the month," Ragan said.
He said about 1,700 mobile home property tax bills will be sent out this month. He said there have been or will be three salary increases given to employees: $8,000 more March 30, $11,000 more April 15 and $15,000 more April 30.
Ragan said the annual tax sale has not yet happened and the amount of property tax relief money paid by the Shawnee National Forest is still expected.
County Highway Engineer Jeff Jones said the Highway Department had a request from Longbranch Township to replace a culvert on Massey Road at a cost of about $1,200 and one from Tate Township to repair a culvert on Possum Flat Road at a cost of about $2,000. The board approved the work. The county pays half, the township pays half and the county provides the labor. Jones also noted the excavator purchased with money paid the county by Peabody Energy for Cottage Grove/Rocky Branch Road is running well and is used about every day.
The board instructed Assistant State's Attorney Jason Olson to enter the county in a joint defense agreement with the City of Eldorado and Eldorado Board of Education in litigation involving Ferrell Hospital's property tax exemption. The hospital maintains as it is a not-for-profit the taxing bodies should reimburse property tax the hospital paid out in the past.