There is $272,000 more than budgeted in income for the 2024-25 fiscal year for the city of Belleville to spend on streets or other projects. This is what Kelly Howey of Plante Moran, the city’s financial consultant, told the city council at Monday’s regular meeting.
She was present to give a financial report at the half point of the fiscal year, which runs from July to June.
Howey said the city levied the 15.5 mills for public safety in the summer and then, in the same fiscal year, levied the same 7.25 public safety operating mills part in December. The plan would keep the DDA and others from capturing part of the funds.
Taxpayers will pay just half of the tax next summer and that would catch them up for the extra amount on this winter’s tax, city officials announced in September. There is no tax increase, they were promised.
Tell that to the tearful senior citizens who protested the sudden extra tax on the December bill that destroyed their budgets.
A city resident also has noted that by bringing the public safety millage down to 7.5 mills in the summer collection, the total would no longer be bumping against the 20-mill maximum and that millage could be increased without a vote of the people.
There’s more to this sudden windfall than meets the eye and residents should be watching officials closely.
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