GPP 11.25.15

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GREENE PRAIRIE PRESS NOVEMBER 25, 2015 – Vol. 146, No. 47 – Carrollton, Illinois 62016

INSIDE LOCALS

Hannekens celebrate 50th anniversary. See page b2

SCHOOL

Carrollton mulls 10% levy increase by CArmeN eNSiNger Greene Prairie Press Carrollton School Board members approved a proposal for a 10 percent increase in the tax levy over last year’s figures at a Nov. 16 meeting. Superintendent Dr. Kerry Cox presented the board with three different proposals: one for 8 percent which would put the aggregate rate at 4.0 percent; one at 9 percent or a 3.9633 rate; and 10 percent which equals an aggregate rate of 3.9272. By law, the maximum rate cannot exceed 4 percent. The aggregate rate in 2014 was 3.55876. “As a local governing body, we determine what is necessary for our estimated budgetary needs,” Dr. Cox said. “What we do is we levy for total dollar amounts, but I will tell you that in putting those levy amounts in we look very specifically at the rates to make sure that we are levying enough of an extension not to lower the rates.” Tax rates are calculated by the county clerk during the tax extension process. School districts levy a separate amount for each fund for which

local tax revenue is necessary. An extension is the actual amount of money received from the levy for each fund. “This levy amount is typically greater than the actual amount received because the EAV (Estimated Assessed Valuation) is being estimated,” Dr. Cox said. “Tax law ensures that the school district can’t exceed the limit.” If a district goes over 105 percent of last year’s levy in the total amount of taxes extended, it is required to hold a Truth in Taxation hearing. “This is something we have had here for several years in a row,” Dr. Cox said. “There are certain requirements that it entails and I would propose that we will have a Truth in Taxation hearing due to these proposals I have here tonight.” Preparing a tax levy is much like a guessing game. One of the elements which, at this point, must be estimated, is the amount of new construction, which can only be claimed in the year it was constructed. “We really don’t have a good estimate from the county clerk yet but I am basing this year’s amount a little

bit higher than it was last year,” Dr. Cox said. “Last year, new construction and the increased assessment of farmland value was $1,052,254. This

“There are certain requirements that it entails and i would propose that we will have a Truth in Taxation hearing due to these proposals i have here tonight .”

Dr. Kerry Cox Carrollton Superintendent year I’m estimating right at $1.2 million.” The EAV for 2015 has not yet been set. In 2014, the EAV was at $62,002,891, up from $57,599,828 the previous year in 2013. However, Greene County falls

See page b2

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WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28

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Obituaries in this issue: austin, Geers, GOewey, smOck, walker

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under the auspices of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL, which limits the extension a taxing body may receive. PTELL was enacted in 2000 and it limits the increase in property tax extension counties to 5 percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is lower. In three years, the CPI has fallen more than 2 percent. In 2012 the CPI was at 3.0 percent while in 2014 it had fallen to 0.8 percent. The CPI for 2015 has yet to be determined. “If the aggregate rate is greater than the limiting rate, the county clerk works with the superintendent to reduce the rate to meet the legal limit,” Dr. Cox said. “When we levy in December, it is only a guess because the actual EAV is not known until spring.” Dr. Cox said that all districts, even those which aren’t under the constraints of PTELL, over-estimate the EAV to ensure that they capture all the tax money in which they are legally entitled. If the EAV ends up being lower, the district gets less. In all cases, the district only gets what EAV allows. (See, carrollton, A2)

Greenfield says goodbye to Coach Trump

CHS weekly athletic award winners.

High

75¢

Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press

bountiful open house

michelle Cordes stands next to the more than 200 cans of food collected Saturday morning during the open house of michelle Cordes Photography in Carrollton . Cordes raffled off gift certificates for photo sessions and the entry fee was five cans of food . All of the food collected will be donated to the local food pantry for distribution to the community’s needy .

Coat drive provides warmth to the needy by CArmeN eNSiNger Greene Prairie Press When Sam Cox decided to start a coat drive, he had no idea just how the community would react. Now, in its fourth year, it’s clear the community is behind him 100 percent. Cox started it on his own as a way to give back to the community. “I went to a men’s retreat and it put a fire into my heart and I just felt the need that I wanted to do more to help,” Cox said. “That first year I did it out of my garage on my own and I thought I’d maybe get just a few coats, if any at all.” He couldn’t have been more shocked as the coats just kept coming and coming. “That first year, I ended up receiving over 300 coats and I was amazed at the generosity of the people of this community,” Cox said. “The

community has just been so supportive of me doing this.” Not everyone was so convinced the project would work. “My sister told me I really didn’t want to collect coats because I would probably get a lot of dirty, nasty coats that people just wanted to get rid of,” Cox said. “I am happy to say that in the four years that I have been doing this, I have not gotten one single dirty coat.” Cox said while most of the coats he collects are very gently used, there are some brand new ones. “There have been some farmers that will get brand new coats from seed companies and the like and they bring them in still with the tags on them,” Cox said. “They also bring in coveralls, brand new jackets, etc. Some people even get coats at the end of the season when they are cheap and donate them the following year.” (See, coat drive, A2)

Submitted photo

Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes head to minnesota

Children in Carrollton’s Faith baptist Church Awana group collected and filled 120 shoeboxes with various assorted items to be donated to Operation Christmas Child, which provides these items to underprivileged children in more than 150 different countries . These boxes were taken to White Hall where they were sent onto the hub in minnesota to be distributed around the world .

by CArmeN eNSiNger I was a senior on that now infamous goal-line stand Greene Prairie Press against Dupo that we ended The recent death of long- up winning on our way to time Greenfield resident Jim the State Playoffs.” Trump has left a void in the Trump had a major community that, put simply, impact on Bishop. is going to be hard to fill. “It was my freshman year Trump died unexpectedly and I was starting left tackle at his home Nov. 16 at the and I had played a really age of 69 after nearly 30 bad game that night,” Bishop years of being a part of the recalls. “We were headed Greenfield community as home from Southwestern both a teacher and coach. and I was sitting across the He most recently became a seat from Coach Trump and member of the Greenfield I was down. He looked over School Board. at me and said, ‘Son, when Out of respect for we stop yelling at you – we Coach Trump, Greenfield have given up on you.’ I Superintendent Kevin remember that dearly to this Bowman cancelled the day.” November meeting. His sophomore year, “We were set to have our Bishop said his junior varBoard Appreciation meal sity team went undefeated that night followed by our on the season. meeting,” Bowman said. “I remember Coach “We didn’t think it would Trump saying at the sports be appropriate for us to have banquet, ‘OK, you’ve done the meal or even the board this – you have gone undemeeting following the news feated – now you have set of his passing – just out of the bar. Let’s see if you can respect for him.” repeat it.’ When I was a Trump came to the senior we went 13-0 in the Greenfield area in 1987 as a physical edu- “He was involved with cation teacher from Auburn a lot of different things where he was in the community but also a teacher both he and his wife, and a coach. Coach Trump retired in 2006 bert, have always been after coaching big supporters of the football and girls basketball, along greenfield School with some track, District, whether it be at Greenfield the athletic programs High School. Trump was or the educational prohead coach of the girls basket- grams .” ball team for 12 seasons, never Kevin Bowman posting a losGreenfield Superintendent ing season in all those years. “I think that first year he regular season, so I would went 9 and 9, but that was as say that we most decidedly close as he came,” Bowman repeated it.” recalls. “The following year In addition to coaching at he went 12-11 and from the high school level, Coach there, the teams just seemed Trump also coached the pee to get better and better.” wee divisions. The 2004 team finished “My son, Austin, who is the season 23-5 and claimed a senior now, reminded me the Class A Regional title. of something the other day,” The two teams prior to 2004 Bishop said. “He played pee also had 20 plus win sea- wee ball for Coach Trump sons. so he is the second generaBut, long before he ever tion, and I’m sure there are stepped foot onto the court many other second generaas the girls basketball coach, tion players out there.” he could be found on the Bishop said he had the football field as one of pleasure of not only playing Greenfield’s assistant coach- for Coach Trump, but in later es under head coach Dan years officiating games in Bowman. which he was the coach. He The 1991 team, also even helped him coach durknown as the Cinderella ing the Prairie State Games team for their second place one year. finish in the State, is still Bowman said that even fresh in the mind of the play- after Coach Trump retired, ers, especially Dave Bishop, he continued to be a big who was a member of that supporter of the athletic prosquad. grams in Greenfield. “Coach Trump was the “He was involved with a lineman coach when I was a lot of different things in the sophomore and the one thing community but both he and he taught me was to stay his wife, Bert, have always low,” Bishop recalled. “That been big supporters of the right there, helped me when (See, trump, A2)


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