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Beardstown council adopts 2024 tax levy, approves dispatch contract and vehicle purchases
Summary
At its Dec. 17 meeting the Beardstown City Council adopted the fiscal 2024 tax levy and an abatement ordinance, approved an $88,459.90 dispatching services agreement, authorized a $185,460 public-works truck and $125,758.20 in police vehicles, and set 2025 meeting dates.
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Beardstown City Council on Dec. 17 adopted its 2024 tax levy and a companion abatement ordinance, approved a yearlong dispatching agreement with the Cass County Emergency Telephone System Board and authorized several vehicle purchases for city departments.
Ald. Eric Harbin moved to adopt the Ordinance for the Tax Levy and Assessment of Taxes for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2024 and ending April 30, 2025; Ald. Dawn Seward seconded the motion. The ordinance passed on a 6–0 roll call vote. Ald. Mary Davis moved, and Ald. Harbin seconded, an ordinance abating taxes levied in 2024 to pay debt service on the City’s Series 2016A and 2016B general obligation refunding bonds; that motion also passed 6–0.
The levy sets the municipal property-tax assessment for the fiscal year and the abatement covers debt-service obligations tied to the 2016 refunding bonds. The council’s recorded vote on both ordinances listed Ald. Lisa Buhlig, Ald. Ron Culves, Ald. Mary Davis, Ald. Eric Harbin, Ald. Keith Schramm and Ald. Dawn Seward as voting "yea;" Chris Baer and Shawn Taylor were absent.
The council approved an Intergovernmental Dispatch Services Agreement with the Cass County ETSB to provide dispatching services for calendar year 2025 in the amount of $88,459.90. The motion, moved by Ald. Mary Davis and seconded by Ald. Harbin, passed 6–0 by roll call vote.
On equipment purchases, the council authorized the Public Works Department to buy a 2025 F-750 diesel truck from Morrow Brothers Ford, Inc. for $185,460.00 after a motion by Ald. Keith Schramm and a second from Ald. Dawn Seward. The council also approved purchase of a 2025 Dodge Durango and a 2025 Dodge Ram truck for the Police Department from Thomas Dodge at a combined price of $125,758.20; that motion was made by Ald. Harbin and seconded by Ald. Seward and passed 6–0 by roll call vote.
Earlier on the agenda the council dispensed with the reading of the Dec. 3 minutes and approved them on a motion by Ald. Seward, seconded by Ald. Davis; the consent agenda of routine reports was filed on a motion by Ald. Harbin and seconded by Ald. Seward. Both motions passed unanimously. City Clerk Brian Ruch presented financial summaries for November 2024, reporting year-to-date receipts and disbursements and listing fund balances including a General Fund combined checking balance of $2,958,027.21 and Special Revenue Funds of $4,136,095.22.
With no further business, the council approved its 2025 meeting dates on a motion by Ald. Davis seconded by Ald. Harbin and adjourned at 7:19 p.m.
Submitted: Brian Ruch, City Clerk
