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“PRSRT STD.” US Postage Paid No. 486 SHAW MEDIA POSTAL PATRON LOCAL R.R. BOXHOLDER CARRIER ROUTE PRESORT
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
State owes PC schools more than $500,000
The eastbound California Zephyr gets ready to pull into the Princeton Depot last week. This train and the Southwest Chief may be eliminated under President Donald Trump’s proposed budget that would cut the U.S. Department of Transportation’s funding for Amtrak’s 15 long-haul trains. (PCR photo/Lyle Ganther)
Summer work projects announced
assumed the worst, the district would be forced to look closer at the summer work projects throughout the district and only select what was needed most.
By Dave Cook
Summer work projects
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
End of the line?
Trump wants to cut Amtrak’s long-distance routes; Southwest Chief, California Zephyr may be eliminated By Lyle Ganther lganther@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — President Donald Trump’s proposed 13-percent cut in funds for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s budget would eliminate Amtrak’s long-distance routes. The Southwest Chief and the California Zephyr that go through Princeton four times a day are two of the 15 long-distance trains Amtrak operates in the United States that Trump wants to cut in his recently released federal budget. This budget proposal to elimi-
nate funding for Amtrak’s long-distance service could impact many of the 500 communities the railroad serves, said Wick Moorman, Amtrak president/CEO. “Amtrak operates 15 long-distance trains across the nation, and these routes offer the only Amtrak service in 23 of the 46 states we serve,” he said in a press release. “These trains connect our major regions, provide vital transportation to residents in rural communities and generate connecting passengers and revenue for our Northeast Corridor and state-supported services. Amtrak is very
focused on running efficiently — we covered 94 percent of our total network operating costs through ticket sales and other revenues in FY ‘16 — but these services all require federal investment. “As the budget process progresses, we look forward to working with President Trump, Secretary Chao, and Congress to ensure they understand the value of Amtrak’s long distance trains and what these proposed cuts would mean to this important part of the nation’s transportation system,” added Moorman.
Amtrak Page 2
GRANVILLE — A school district announcing it’s owed more than $500,000 in state mandated funding would typically be big news if not in Illinois. However, it’s become a sad and typical occurrence at school board meetings throughout the state. The amounts have also been steadily increasing as the state continues to push it along its downward spiral. Putnam County Superintendent Carl Carlson announced during the March 20 board meeting he state still owes the district $538,693, including more than $210,000 for special education and more than $241,000 for transportation costs. Carlson assured the board the district is still in sound financial shape despite the funding concerns. “Do you think we’ll get the funding we’re owed?” board member Mary Gilbert asked. Carlson responded he hoped they would, but added if he played the devil’s advocate and
The board approved the motion to begin the bidding process to replace the lockers in the high school during summer vacation. Carlson provided an informal quote of approximately $61,000 and said if they were ordered by April, they could be installed by July. Carlson said the locking mechanisms are failing; the dials are worn; and that their overall poor condition has caused them to become a security concern in regards to students’ possessions. Other maintenance issues the board would like to address during the summer include the development of a replacement plan for desks, tables and chairs; the replacement of the gym doors at the high school; floor treatments; lighting at the elementary school; lockers at the junior high; the intermittently faulty wheelchair lift at the junior high; continued maintenance of the parking lots; and the carpeting in the high school office.
PC Schools Page 3
An enterprising concept
School funding failure and a look at the Bureau Putnam Enterprise Zone By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
With the renewed Bureau-Putnam County Enterprise Zone and its success with industrial development investments worth billions of dollars, it makes sense it be continued and celebrated. However, it’s also a good idea to Vol. 149 No. 31 One Section - 20 Pages
take a look at the other sides of the zone, particularly the education side. The zone, managed by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities, covers 12.5 square miles and could be expanded by an additional 15. The zone is meant to assist with the growth of indus-
try by providing state and local incentives. The renewed zone covering parts of Bureau and Putnam counties started on Jan. 1, 2017, and will officially end in 2031, but it could be extended to 2041. One of the incentives offered since the zone’s beginning in 1987 is a near 100 percent,
10-year property tax abatement on industrial/commercial real property improvements, a 6 to 6.25 percent local and state sales tax deduction on locally-purchased building materials, and a “zone project only” 0.5 percent investment tax credit on qualified property/equipment investments.
Enterprising Page 2
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© The Putnam County Record
Kevin Lindeman, economic director of the North Central Illinois Council of Governments, has asked officials of the area’s taxing bodies to consider passing renewed abatement resolutions by April or May to provide the continued benefits of the zone
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