MT. VERNON — The Mt. Vernon City Council is set to consider repealing the Utility Capital Improvement fee per a press release on Wednesday. The council will meet at City Hall on Friday at 9 a.m.
The fee is also known as the “meter fee” and the council is considering replacing it with a sales tax to fund water and sewer improvements. It the tax is implemented, the ordinance will have to be passed and filed with the State of Illinois by Oct. 1.
The release indicates that the Utility Committee has studied the water and sewer infrastructure and has identified several immediate needs, such as, water tower maintenance and replacements, sewer lift station replacements, sewer line replacement and relining.
Also before the City Council will be a plan for equipment replacement, roadway improvement plan, demolition of condemned structures and accelerated debt reduction also funded from the newly proposed sales tax.
The council is trying to move quickly to meet the Oct. 1 deadline so that tax receipts starting Jan. 1, 2018. Making a move past that deadline would mean that the meter tax would stay in place until then, according to Mayor John Lewis.