http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-898003.mp3
Rushville, IL – The city of Rushville is considering a spending moratorium. The move would prohibit "non-emergency" purchases.
Mayor Scott Thompson says the spending ban would likely extend from May through August. He says such action is necessary because he doesn't know what's going to happen to the city's state funding.
There's a proposal on the table to reduce local municipalities' share of income tax revenue from ten percent to seven percent. Thompson says the city has drafted a resolution opposing that idea.
He says the city will make purchases if they're necessary. He says at least a few will likely be made within the next few months.
"That emergency line that gets crossed would be, how is this going to impact service," says Thompson. "Is this going to impact our ability to distribute water? Is it going to impact our ability to remove waste water? Is it going to impede police protection? Those are the types of questions you have to ask."
He says the moratorium would not allow full time positions to be filled, and could impact landscaping services on city property among other things.
Thompson says the city will soon have to pay for a new city operations truck because the current vehicle cannot be driven. He says the current truck impedes the city's ability to provide basic services.
"That's just how thin of a line communities like Rushville run operationally every day," he says. "We get by with the bare minimum, and then when you take a truck out of service, you're scrambling."
Thompson says he'll begin drafting memorandums to city employees next week informing them of the decision. He'll present it to the full city council next month.
Rushville's fiscal year begins on May 1. The state's begins on July 1.