Mount Vernon council approves CDBG procurement for sewer relining, cedes bond allocation and backs preserving 1% food tax revenue

The Mount Vernon City Council approved multiple financial and administrative items during its March 4 meeting, including two ordinances required for city programs, a resolution seeking state action on the 1% food tax, approval of consolidated vouchers and a community street closure.

City Attorney David Leggans presented an ordinance required by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for a sanitary sewer relining project; City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel said the city is in compliance with procurement and contract provisions. The council suspended the rules and approved Ordinance #2024‑07 on first reading (Yeas: Ray Botch, Joe Gliosci, Donte Moore, John Lewis; Absent: Mike Young).

Leggans also presented an ordinance authorizing the ceding of the city’s private activity bond volume cap to the Southern Illinois Economic Development Authority (SIEDA). Bechtel said the city’s 2024 volume cap is $1,785,500; there is no project currently tied to the cap and SIEDA would hold the allocation through Dec. 31, 2024, or it would revert to the Illinois Finance Authority. The council suspended rules and approved Ordinance #2024‑08 (same vote tally).

Leggans introduced a resolution asking the state to preserve revenue from the 1% food tax. Mayor John Lewis said Mount Vernon would stand to lose about $1.2 million if the tax were eliminated; City Manager Bechtel said those revenues go to the General Fund to pay for police, fire, streets, parks and fleet maintenance. Council Member Joe Gliosci moved to approve the resolution; the motion passed (Yeas: Botch, Gliosci, Moore, Lewis; Absent: Young).

As part of routine business, the council approved Consolidated Vouchers for Accounts Payable totaling $1,282,375.58 (motion by Ray Botch) and granted a street closure request for North Street between 11th and 12th Streets on April 27, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for Central Christian Church Serve Day (moved by Ray Botch, seconded by Joe Gliosci). Both motions carried with the same vote tally as above.

The meeting minutes do not record amendments to the ordinances, funding source breakdowns beyond the cap amount, or a timeline for the sewer relining project; follow‑up items such as grant award notices, contract solicitations, or staff reports were not specified in the minutes.