The Vandalia City Council voted in essence to give the taxpayers in the city a break this year as they approved a levy rate equal to last year’s rate, meaning no increase in taxes this year. A hearing on the tax levy was held prior to Monday night’s last council meeting of the year with a few members of the public in attendance. Dale Timmerman presented the board with the numbers received from the actuary which projected an estimated tax levy of 18.26% prior to numbers from the Department of Insurance coming in last week leading to a projected tax levy of 6.87% increase over last year. The largest portion of the estimated tax monies to be raised by the levies presented is police pension as it is most years. And Timmerman says if they would leave the levy amount the same, the amount levied will be $776,768.
That amount will leave a gap of $53,362 to which the council will move money from the general fund to the police pension fund to cover the gap to allow the tax levy amount to stay at last year’s levels. A roll call vote was taken and the levy was approved by a vote of 6-1 with councilman Mike Hobler casting the lone no vote and alderman Ken Hubler not present for the vote.