Glen Carbon Mayor Marcus presents state of the Village report
By Kathy Turner
Mayor Bob Marcus used part of the regular May 23 Village Board meeting to report on the state of the Village. The report is required by Village ordinance and allows the mayor to update the community and board on how the Village progressed during the past year.
Mayor Marcus spoke of the status of all departments in the Village. He outlined the great success they have had in securing grants to help fund major projects that benefit the residents including installation of electrical stations at Schon Park for events and funding additional police officers.
The Village saw an 8.1% increase in property values in 2022 and, as a result, have been able to boast a 2.99% decrease in the tax rate for residents. The rate is the lowest that it has been in the last ten years.
The Village continues to see growth as Orchard Town Center and Meridian Plaza are progressing. Meijer will begin to move on construction in the future. And both developers report progress in construction and leasing.
Much of the Village’s ability to maintain infrastructures and programs is the result of the increase in sales tax revenue. Last year the Village collected $4.8 million in sales tax revenue, an 8.3% increase over the previous year. And video gaming revenue nearly doubled last year.
In further action on Tuesday the Board approved an agreement with the Glen Carbon Volunteer Fire Department for sale of beer at the June 16 and 17 Homecoming. The fire department provides the staffing for the beer sales at the homecoming and shares a portion of the profits with the village.
The board approved a professional services agreement with WHKS for a Water Service Line Inventory. This is a requirement of the EPA and needs to be completed by next year. Residents can assist in reducing the cost of the contract with WHKS by assuring that they complete the surveys for their property. The surveys are available online at the Village website.
Finally, the board approved a resolution to establish a public hearing date for an annexation agreement. The hearing will be set for June 20 and will be for annexation of 4287 and 4297 S. State Route 159 for development.
The next meeting of the Village Board will be held on Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m.
