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The St. Louis Zoological Park and Museum District is considering admission fees for visitors from outside the area or expanding its tax base. (Photo courtesy Explore St. Louis)

The St. Louis Zoological Park and Museum District is considering admission fees for visitors from outside the area or expanding its tax base. (Photo courtesy Explore St. Louis)

St. Clair County to sue Illinois for 911 funding

The St. Clair County Council Aug. 31 authorized legal action against the State of Illinois to obtain $5.8 million in funding for 911 emergency telephone services, as well as costs for state-mandated county functions.

Illinois has been without a budget for more than two months as the result of an impasse between Gov. Bruce Rauner and the state legislature. State Comptroller Leslie Munger announced in June that most state payments would stop if there’s no budget in place by the end of July 1.

The state last issued 911 funding payments on Aug. 17, along with a notice that no further payments would be issued until a state budget was approved.

In Illinois, 911 service is funded with 73-cent per-month, per-line surcharge on cellphone bills and a 1.5 percent surcharge on the purchase of prepaid cellphones  Of the surcharge, 67 cents goes to the local emergency telephone service boards (ETSB) that provide 911 service around the state, 5 cents goes to the wireless carrier for providing 911 access,  and 1 cent goes to the federal Interstate Commerce Commission.

The state continues to collect the surcharges, but has ceased passing the revenues on to ETSBs, county officials note.

The St. Clair County ETSB generally receives about $125,000 a month from surcharges on wireless, wireline and voice-over Internet protocol service. That funding represents about 72 percent of the board’s budget.

Illinois law requires local units of government, including counties, to provide a number of services and also sets standards for many local services. The Illinois State Mandates Act requires the state to reimburses local government for providing those services and meeting required standards.

 

Metro 090915 news briefs PHOTO 2jpgSt. Louis Zoo-Museum District again eyes ways to raise revenue

The St. Louis Zoological Park and Museum District, which funds arts and cultural institutions in the City of S. Louis through property taxes in the city and St. Louis County, is again considering admission fees for visitors from outside the area or expanding its tax base to include surrounding counties in Illinois and Missouri.

Established in 1971, the district provides $70 in funding annually for the St. Louis Zoo, the district supports the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Art Museum, the St. Louis Science, and Missouri Botanical Gardens. At present, only the botanical gardens charge admission. When the district was established, 70 percent of the population in the St. Louis Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SLSMSA) resided in St. Louis or St. Louis County. Today, only 50 percent reside in those jurisdictions.

More than 61 percent of zoo visitors now come from outside St. Louis or St. Louis County, as do some 59 percent of science center visitors.

In addition to routine upkeep, increased revenues are needed to help fund expansion or building programs.

Admission fees for zoo-museum district institutions would have to be authorized by the Missouri Legislature.

Voter approval would be required for entry of outside counties into the district. Illinois counties considered part of the SLSMSA are Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair.

 

New business group targets economic development in Alton

‘Light Up Alton,’ a new Riverbend-area business council, is hoping to spur economic development in Northwestern Madison County.

Among those organizing the business council are Dale Blachford, president of Liberty Bank, John Simmons of law firm of Simmons Hanly Conroy, Bob Ramsey of Bob Ramsey Seminars and Dr. Dale Chapman, president of Lewis and Clark Community College. The Riverbend Growth Association, the Alton area’s chamber of commerce, is affiliated with the effort.

According to the group’s website (www.lightupalton.com), initial efforts will center around:

  • Encouraging entrepreneurial activity — With a new Alton Ventures Investment Club to fund business start-ups and free management seminars for local business people. “We want Alton businesses to be so well-run that they set an example for the rest of the world,” the groups website states.
  • Business relocation — A relocation committee is being established to encourage existing businesses, outside the area, to relocate or establish new operations in Alton.
  • Developing regional business strategies through monthly meetings of executive round table for Alton-area business owners and CEOs, known as the Strategic Circle.

Additional project reports will be announced over time, according to the group. Specific initiatives may center on the National Great Rivers Research Center or making the area more attractive to young professionals.

Similar business councils, including St. Louis’ Civic Progress and St. Louis Business Council, and the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois, have been established around the nation. However, Light Up Alton is “region-specific” to the Riverbend area, according to the group.

The group was formally established in April and plans to hold the first of its seminars this month.

 

Two Madison County board members urge tort reform

Madison County Board members Tom McRae and Mitch Madison were among those testifying in favor of tort reform legislation during a Sept. 1 hearing in Springfield. Tort reform, designed to in large part to counter the long-standing reputation of Metro-East courts as lawsuit havens, is among the tenants of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s “turnaround agenda” for Illinois.

Madison County has long been regarded by tort attorneys as a favorable site for product and personal injury suits, according to the American Tort Reform Association, which this year rated the county’s judicial system the fifth worst in America.

“The Fifth Judicial District, and Madison County in particular, is a magnet for personal injury and product liability cases because the courts are notoriously plaintiff-friendly,” the Chicago Tribune wrote of the county.

Lawsuit reform is among the tenants of Rauner’s “turnaround agenda” for Illinois.

Legislation backed by Rauner is intended to discourage “venue shopping,” in which plaintiffs choose where they file lawsuits, rather than filing in the county where they reside.

So 90 percent of the plaintiffs who file cases in Madison County are from outside Illinois, according to the governor’s office.

During their testimony last week, county board members Madison and McRae said an unfriendly legal climate has contributed to the loss of employers in the Madison County area.

According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Metro East lost 1,800 jobs in the last year.

For more information, see www.lightupalton.com.

 

Whoosh parking app debuts on SIUE campus

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is adding a new, fee app – known as “Whoosh!” –to its array of parking services – Whoosh!

Effective immediately, those needing to pay for parking in SIUE Lots B (the Morris University Center lot) and C (behind Rendleman Hall) will have an additional payment option. Students, faculty and staff will be able to use their cell phones, tablets and computers to pay for parking with the new system.

Whoosh! can be downloaded from the App Store onto an iPhone or the Google Play Store onto an Android device.  Drivers without a smart phone can access the app by visiting the Whoosh! website,(www.whooshstore.com). Users register their license plates and credit card with the Whoosh! system or through the website.

Instead of using a kiosk, drivers can sit in their cars, open the app on their phone, choose their parking area, select their vehicle, enter their space number and choose the amount of time they want to park.

When a parking session purchased through Whoosh! is about to expire, the application can send a reminder via text message.

 

— Metro East News Briefs —