The Effingham City Council recently finalized the tax levy for the next fiscal year.
The tax levy for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, May 1 through April 30, was passed. Both the city of Effingham and the Effingham Public Library are included in the levy. The total increased rate from last year is 3.86%, which means both the city and the library will receive $5,575,255 in the upcoming fiscal year.
“We’re not taxing as much as we could because we lowered the rate to keep property taxes down,” said City Administrator Steve Miller.
Greg Koester, Effingham city planner, discussed prohibiting wind energy conversion systems. If someone in the future wishes to change this ordinance, they can present their plan to the Plan Commission and then to City Council, but for now, wind energy conversion systems are prohibited. The council will discuss this plan again during the Dec 3 council meeting.
Travis Voelker’s special use permit was approved, which he will use to build mini-warehouses on.
Hometown Christmas, a Christmas celebration in downtown Effingham on Saturday, Dec. 7, will include road closures on Washington Avenue from 3rd to 5th Street from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., 4th Street from Washington Avenue to Jefferson Avenue from 2 to 6 p.m., Jefferson from Front Street to 3rd from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., 4th Street from Jefferson Avenue to the alley by Big Papa’s from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the parking lot on the southwest corner of Jefferson and 4th Street on Friday, Dec. at 7 a.m. to Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. These closures were approved by the council.
The Effingham 2050 Comprehensive Plan will hold meetings for different focus groups, and during January and February, Mondays and Thursdays are the days the Steering Committee, also known as the Stakeholders, will meet. These meetings will be open to the public.
In other news, Deputy Police Chief Kurt Davis recently celebrated 20 years of service.