Thursday Aug. 6, 2015 Vol. 3, No. 22
The Weekly Post
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Illinois stiffing communities on gambling debts By BILL KNIGHT
Farmington may have to juggle some finances to make sure the local museum isn’t hurt, but area communities generally view Gov. Bruce Rauner’s recent decision to withhold video-gambling revenues as annoying or insulting more than a fiscal threat. Rauner’s office last week announced that Illinois municipalities won’t get their cut from video gambling until the state budget is in place. Brimfield, Elmwood, For The Weekly Post
Elmwood OKs $3.2 million 2015-16 budget By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $3.2 million appropriations ordinance for the new Fiscal Year, a 23 percent increase from last year. The vote followed a brief public hearing in which City Treasurer Harold Jehle said, “It’s tight. We’re depending on outside sources [of revenue] we have no control over.” The ordinance that passed was changed slightly from the Inside original pro• Farmington OKs side- posal to accommodate a higher walk cafes. Page 7. auditing fee, • Elmwood picks conwhich added tractor for junior high $3,000, exproject. Page 11. plained attorney Bob Potts. The final appropriation is for $3,205,393. Accommodation was the theme in two other actions. First, engineer Patrick Meyer presented a plan on downtown parking. The goal is to accommodate increased grain-truck traffic by changing some spaces on South Magnolia from diagonal to parallel and eliminating a few spaces throughout downtown to comply with state law on distances to crosswalks and stop signs. Then the Council unanimously adopted the changes as an ordinance. Besides the 100 block of South Magnolia, changes will affect the 100 blocks of For The Weekly Post
Continued on Page 10
Farmington and Princeville all have some video gambling, and its revenues are sent to Springfield, where money is supposed to be divided among operators, businesses, communities and the state. But the state has no authority to distribute video-gambling revenues to municipalities without a balanced budget, Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly claimed in a prepared statement. “We’ll get by,” said Rollen Wright, City Administrator at Farmington, which had been receiving about $1,500 a month
from the proceeds from four local establishments. “We utilize part of those funds to help the Historical Society and Museum pay rent and buy some materials. But we’ll see to it they’ll be alright. “We won’t be challenged to keep the city going or anything,” Wright continued. “It’s more of a nuisance.” In Elmwood, Mayor J.D. Hulslander voiced some frustration. “The state passed the law and the city had to revise our ordinances” to participate, Hulslander said. “They’re with-
holding money we’ve already been promised.” Elmwood Treasurer Harold Jehle said Elmwood already didn’t receive the scheduled payment for July. “The machine operator collects the money and a percentage is supposed to go to them, to the tavern or wherever, the state and the municipality,” Hulslander added. “We got almost $11,000 last year, money for the General Fund used for the betterment of the community.” Continued on Page 7
THE JEWEL IN YOUR BACKYARD
A salute to Jubilee’s Historic Site By CHERYL HARLOW
On a recent cloudy, buggy Friday morning, a group of dedicated ladies met at the Jubilee College Historic Site to perform a labor of love. The women are members of the Peoria Master Gardeners and one of their volunteer projects is maintaining a butterfly garden on the grounds of the Historic Site. The group of 5-7 women meet each week to weed, plant and maintain a lovely little garden that was almost lost for good. This Saturday (Aug. 8) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., that garden will be at center For The Weekly Post
This butterfly garden at the Jubilee College Historic Site had fallen into disrepair before being restored by a volunteer group of gardeners.
stage of an event designed to showcase the possibilities and history of the Jubilee College Historic Site, located at 11817 W. Jubilee College Rd. between Kickapoo and Brimfield. This year marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of Jubilee College by
Bishop Philander Chase, who called his new school a “college in the wilderness.” In March of 2014, a group of Jubilee College volunteers asked the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency for approval to open the site to the public. They were given this Saturday, during which numerous volunteer groups will offer activities and programs at the Continued on Page 2
Golf carts not yet legal in Williamsfield By BILL KNIGHT
WILLIAMSFIELD – Social media mistakenly reported that golf carts are now approved to operate in Billtown, according to Village President Michael Gray, but the Village Board isn’t even considering the measure until its attorney reviews the proposal. The Board expects to vote on the ordinance – which would permit residents at least 16 years old to use such approFor The Weekly Post
priately equipped vehicles on local streets – at its Sept. 7 meeting. Meanwhile, the community’s first survey of unsightly properties by Police Chief James Robertson resulted in a list of a dozen lots with excessive vegetation, inoperable vehicles, appliances or furniture in yards and other problems. Village Clerk Tori Courson was instructed to notify property owners of the code violations and the consequences for not addressing them.
In fiscal matters, Gray said the village remains “in reasonably good shape.” Considering the required $20,000 partial payment for the village’s contribution to its water system project – tentatively set to start in September – the water works fund is slightly behind, but overall, it’s “still positive,” he added. Andrew Fritz of the parks committee reported that a third work day at BenContinued on Page 9