Effingham Council approves FY25 budget, capital improvement plan
Apr. 19—The Effingham City Council this week approved a new budget and a five-year capital improvement plan.
During its meeting Tuesday, the council approved the city's budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which begins May 1, 2024 and ends April 30, 2025.
"The numbers have not changed since the public hearing," Effingham City Administrator Steve Miller said. "I think we've been over the numbers several times."
The council has budgeted $96,186,234 for the city for the upcoming fiscal year, which is more than $10 million more than the city's $84,368,702 budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
Also during the meeting, the council approved a five-year capital improvement plan, which spans 2025 through 2029.
"We've talked about this in the past several times," Miller said. "This would be our capital plan and our maintenance improvement plan."
The capital improvement plan has a total budget of $85,888,606 and the maintenance improvement plan has a budget of $17,347,928.
In other matters, Effingham Tourism Director Jodi Thoele told the council that there were thousands of visitors in the city on the day of the recent eclipse, April 8, and the weekend leading up to it. She said this influx of visitors had a "fairly decent economic impact" on the city, especially on the day of the eclipse.
"All the parties were busy," Thoele said. "I think it went really well."
Also during the meeting, Gary Reed of Watson spoke on behalf of a group of residents urging the city to adopt a resolution addressing immigration that's similar to those adopted by the Effingham County Board.
"We're submitting to you tonight an open letter along with the signatures of support from over 100 citizens, some of whom are present this evening," Reed said.
In January, the county board adopted a resolution barring asylum seekers from receiving county funded services, and in March, the board adopted a resolution opposing migrant bus drop-offs in the county. Members of the city council have yet to propose any such resolutions.
"To be perfectly clear, we citizens do not come from a racist or anti-immigrant perspective but purely from a desire to maintain a community environment of high security and superior public safety," he said. "Doing nothing is not an acceptable response."
In other matters, the council:
—Approved an ordinance increasing the city's sewer rate by 5%.
—Authorized the acquisition of a temporary use permit for utility purposes from MBR Jacksonville/Effingham Properties, LLC at 100 W. Fayette Ave.
—Authorized the acquisition summary and offer to purchase from Andrew Lowell Micenheimer and Emma Brewer Micenheimer at 1001 N. Merchant St.
—Authorized the acquisition of a temporary use permit and the purchase of an easement for utility purposes from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield at 815 N. Fourth St. in the amount of $322.
—Approved a memorandum of understanding between the city of Effingham and the Effingham Unit 40 Board for a school resource officer for the 2024-2025, 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years.
—Approved a Downtown/Southtown Business Area Redevelopment Program agreement with Integrity Electric and Plumbing, Inc. for $3,040 for a facade project costing a total of $12,162.
—Accepted a proposal from Denler, Inc. for the 2024 Crack and Joint Sealing Program in the amount of $44,440.
—Accepted a proposal from Denler, Inc. for the 2024 Pavement Preservation Program in the amount of $382,756.
—Accepted a proposal from Effingham Asphalt for the 2024 Hot and Cold Mix Program in the amount of $48,125.
—Accepted a proposal from Groundworks Contracting, Inc. for the East Jefferson Avenue Drainage Project in the amount of $184,603.
—Accepted a proposal from Esker & Walker Construction, Inc. for the 2024 Hendelmeyer and Blohm Street Improvements Project in the amount of $316,422.
—Appointed Patty Greene, Julie Clark, Katie Koester, Arpit Shah and Kim Jansen to the Effingham Tourism Advisory Board for terms lasting until May 1, 2027.
—Appointed Steve Miller to the Effingham Police Pension Board of Trustees for a term lasting until May 1, 2026.
—Appointed John Richards to the Effingham Fire Pension Board of Trustees for a term lasting until April 30, 2027.
—Appointed Steve Miller to the Effingham Human Relations Commission for a term lasting until May 1, 2027.
—Appointed Jim Wolters to the Effingham Board of Fire and Police Commission for a term lasting until May 1, 2027.
—Appointed Austin Hayes, Christo Schultz and Brandon Weber to the Effingham Ethics Commission for terms lasting until May 1, 2026.
Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.