Georgetown finance committee recommends 4.79% tax levy increase and proposes 5% staff raises

The Georgetown City Council Finance Committee on Nov. 3 recommended that the full council approve a 4.79% increase to the 2025 tax levy, an increase the committee said would raise roughly $11,500 to bolster the city’s Social Security fund. Treasurer Amy Cavanaugh presented the levy plan and told the committee she limited increases to only those areas she said auditors wanted addressed; she said the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) will not be raised and that four budget areas were left unchanged.

The committee also moved to forward a personnel pay recommendation to the full council. Treasurer Cavanaugh said she budgeted for a 5% raise; Mayor Darin Readnour told the committee he believes wages need to rise to help attract applicants for current openings. The committee recommended a 5% raise for most employees, excluding police officers who are still on probation; the water and sewer operator was proposed to receive a 2% raise. Committee members discussed the option of a one-time bonus but noted that a bonus would not change overtime-rate calculations.

The recommendations are advisory to the full council; the committee's record lists the two items as recommendations for council consideration rather than final approvals. The meeting minutes record a motion to adjourn made by Alder Jack Morrison and seconded by Alder Nick Krabel; the meeting adjourned at 6:28 p.m.

Next steps: the full Georgetown City Council will consider the committee’s recommendation on the tax levy and the proposed raises at a subsequent meeting; no date for council action was specified in the finance committee minutes.