Williamsfield board eyeing new taxes

By MOLLY RICHESON
For The Weekly Post

WILLIAMSFIELD – The Williamsfield Village Board has begun the process of drafting a new local ordinance to keep a 1% grocery tax in place once a similar state tax is repealed.
Illinois is repealing a 1% grocery tax effective Jan. 1, 2026. That tax was collected by the state but paid to municipalities.

Village President Robert Johnson said at Monday’s board meeting that Williamsfield needs the funding.

“With a $60,000 budget deficit, minimum wage increase in January and other unexpected expenses at the water plant, we cannot afford to let this revenue stream slip through our fingers,” Johnson said. “The tax is already being paid, so to the consumer there will not be any change, only that the state will not be collecting the taxes, the village will.”

The village attorney will draft an ordinance for the board’s approval at a later meeting. The ordinance will need to be approved by Oct. 1, 2025, in order for it to take effect with no lapse in revenue.

Williamsfield is also considering implementing a non-home-rule local tax beginning at 0.25% and reaching 1% in four years.

“No one wants to impose new taxes. However, we have a budget deficit, wage increases Jan.1, etc. With no other new revenue streams, our only avenue is new taxes,” Johnson said.

Board members voiced concerns about what exactly is being taxed, the impact on local businesses, how much income would a tax generate and the idea that taxes don’t just go away. The issue was tabled so board members can research implications of the tax.
Johnson said in order to begin collection of said tax by July 1, 2025, a decision would need to be made by April 1. Alternatively, should a decision be made by Oct. 1, 2025, the tax could be collected beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

The results of Williamsfield’s 2022-23 audit report were reviewed during the meeting. West Central CPA of Monmouth performed the audit and reported the following deficiencies: the reliance on the auditor to prepare full disclosure statements for the year-end reporting purposes, inadequate segregation of duties as the clerk and treasurer are responsible for most accounting functions and fiscal duties, the need for a board member to review and initial the bank statements every month, the need to record and maintain balances for loans, accounts payable and accounts receivable in the accounting system for reporting purposes, the need to review the fixed asset report annually, the need to confirm that water billing is updated to match rate ordinances and consider revising the upward limit of water usage and capped billing, and the external flash drives being used to backup data instead of the cloud as a hardware failure could result in data loss.

The village plans to take action on these deficiencies in the coming months.
A motion was approved for an extra $1,000 to go toward sealcoating for Williamsfield roads. Unbeknownst to the county or to BCZ Engineering, the company contracted for sealcoating, its oil supplier is now charging a $1,000 fee for partial tanks. Williamsfield requires about a half tank of oil for its annual needs, and the oil supplier previously split a full tank between two townships as needed.

Because Motor Fuel Tax requests for Williamsfield were already submitted and approved by the state, MFT funds will not cover the charge. In years coming, the quote can be submitted to the state with the fee included or the village may decide to do more roads to use a full tank of oil and avoid the fee altogether.

In other news, Williamsfield has ATV and UTV registration Sept. 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Village Hall for sticker renewal.

Also on Sept. 8 is Ag Day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Doubet-Benjamin Park. The event includes ag-related games for children and a free breakfast.

And an ice cream social will be held Sept. 22 from 5-7 p.m. at Doubet-Benjamin Park.