GREENVILLE CITY COUNCIL PASSES INCREASE IN TAX LEVY
At Tuesday nights Greenville City Council meeting, the council voted to raise the city part of the real estate tax. WGEL talked to City Manager Dave Willey about that change. Dave said the ultimate change on the real estate tax bill will amount to ½ of 1%. The state of Illinois, which is supposed to make a monthly state income tax distribution to the city of Greenville, has been making payments on an irregular basis. According to Willey, the state is approximately five months behind. Willey added that in any other industry, that would qualify as an unpaid debt and the debtor would probably be taken to court but in the case with the state, that is a different process.
The city manager was asked about the Industrial Park Overpass on Route 40. He commented that it is ready to open after striping and sweeping is done when the weather breaks. In other action, after comments from the city attorney, the council voted to act as a conduit to issue bonds for 8 million 385 thousand dollars for financing for the new Donnewald Distributing Warehouse and Headquarters in the Greenville Industrial Park. City Attorney Pat Schaufelberger assured the council that Greenville was assuming no financial liability by its participation in securing those bonds. It was 1960, 50 years ago, that Greenville last signed an agreement with the forerunners of Ameren to use that company as our natural gas supplier. The council voted to enter into a 20 year renewal of that agreement but instead of the city getting free gas for city facilities, Greenville will now be getting $13,170.00 per year cash payment. The cash, based on current gas prices, is an improvement of several thousand dollars over the old agreement. The council also signed a new three year contract with the police union that included a one and a half percent salary increase this year, two percent next year, and two and a half percent the third year.
DANNON COMPANY SETTLES WITH THE STATE OF ILLINOIS OVER FALSE CLAIMS
Illinois, along with 38 other states, has settled a lawsuit with the Dannon Company Inc. over unsubstantiated claims of health benefits from consuming its Activia yogurt and DanActive dairy drink. Under the settlement, Dannon cannot claim these products allegedly can prevent, treat, or cure a disease without a solid basis for such claims. The Illinois Attorney General’s office along with the Federal Trade Commission cooperated in the investigation. The settlement terms will limit the claims Dannon may make about Activia and DanActive and require Dannon to have competent and reliable scientific evidence. Illinois will receive $425,000.00 from the settlement to fund consumer education and enforcement of consumer fraud laws.
