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Effingham council approves FY2027 budget, pay ranges and multiple infrastructure and planning measures in omnibus package
Summary
The Effingham City Council adopted the FY2027 operating budget, established pay ranges for nonunion positions and approved a 42-item omnibus package that included rezoning, subdivision plats, utility contracts, and multiple infrastructure procurement awards.
The Effingham City Council on a single omnibus vote approved the city’s fiscal-year 2027 operating budget, formalized pay ranges for nonunion employees and cleared more than three dozen routine items spanning planning, utilities and public works.
City Administrator Miller told the council the only last-minute change to the budget was a $15,000 interest adjustment in the debt service account to align revenues and expenditures. “The only, last minute change that we made was in the debt service account. We showed $15,000 in interest,” Miller said before the council adopted the budget for the period beginning May 1, 2026 and ending April 30, 2027.
The council also approved Ordinance 62026, which establishes pay ranges for nonunion salaried and hourly positions and matches the 4% adjustment in recent union contracts, and adopted an annual appointment ordinance that lists city positions (it includes the economic development director position but does not name an individual).
On planning and land-use items the council voted to vacate a portion of North Henrietta Street, rezoned roughly the west 200 feet of a city parcel along Heritage Avenue from R-2 to R-3A, and approved preliminary and final plats for Heritage Crossing (an 18-lot attached single-family subdivision) and a minor plat in Beckman Estate. City staff noted two Heritage Crossing lots will require sanitary sewer extension of about 150 feet, which the city will cover from grants or budgeted funds.
The council also authorized multiple procurement and infrastructure actions, including awards for water treatment plant chemicals (totaling $342,098.20, paid from the water fund), a sidewalk replacement contract (Esker and Walker low bid $208,100.75, funded from general fund and Central TIF), and contracts for water-tank cleaning and interior inspections. City Engineer Taylor said the chemicals awards went to eight low bidders following separate bids for 11 chemicals. “There’s 11 different chemicals that we bid in separate groups… The total awards are $342,098.20,” Taylor said.
Other routine business included approval of bills and requisitions and scheduling for upcoming resurfacing project bid lettings. Several items that were discussed but not finalized — including a proposed consolidation of site-plan requirements in the zoning code — were set to return to the council for final action if edits were necessary.
The council’s action concludes a meeting that opened with an executive-session recess for hiring and appointment matters and included introductions of new and retiring staff. Police Chief Davis introduced new officer Blaze Hartke, and the council recognized long-serving utility billing staff member Janet Onsour for 15 years of service.
Outcome and next steps: The adopted FY2027 budget and the omnibus items will take effect per their statutory schedules; items that require further refinement (notably the proposed site-plan code revision) will return to the council for final action.
