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Galesburg Council property tax levy to not increase more than 5 percent

Galesburg City Council passed a resolution on Monday night that indicates they will not raise their property tax levy any higher than 5 percent than last year.

City Manager Todd Thompson says although it’s still subject to change the levy is projected to increase between a half and one percent.

There was some concern raised about the funding request from the Galesburg Public Library which had included funding for a new HVAC system.

Thompson says that would have sent the Library’s levy up 6 percent, but the administration has met with library personnel to work out an alternative plan for funding.

Thompson says they could go work out a plan where the city would front the cost for the HVAC, with the library paying back the cost over time.

Councilmember Corine Anderson, who also serves as the council’s liaison to the Library Board, says the GPL’s HVAC system barely made it through last summer.

“The library would have to close if it went down, so it’s a necessary item.”

The 2020 budget is now available for public inspection at City Hall, the Galesburg Public Library and online.

The council also voted down a bid to replace the HVAC system at the Oquawka Water Treatment facility in order to rebid the project.

Alderman Wayne Allen was the first to request the work be rebid, and the other five council members present agreed. Allen cited the lowest bid contractor pulling out, and the recommended bid being $150,000 overbudget as reasons.

While Todd Thompson says they would like to get the work done as quickly as possible, he adds that time is not a “key component.”

Council documents say that the system has prematurely eroded due to poor design, something that the city has brought litigation over.

“And did get some settlements from it,” Thompson said. “Nothing to the extent that we had originally hoped, of course, but not enough to cover its cost but we have mitigated that error.”

Director of Planning and Public Works Wayne Carl says it would take another 3 to 4 weeks to get new bids back.

Council also had on first reading a rezoning on Ferris Street from Institutional to Light Industrial.

The property previously was owned by Knox College, and contained a residence, but has since been purchased by Aluminum Castings, and much of the property is already zoned for Light Industrial, except for a southwest corner.

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