Gillespie voters to consider sales tax question

February 17, 2025 48

GILLESPIE — Voters in the city of Gillespie will have an opportunity on April 1 to consider a sales tax referendum. The referendum asks whether or not the city could impose a one percent sales tax for public safety.

The Gillespie City Council greenlighted the referendum on January 13. City Attorney Rick Verticchio will draft the language for placement on the April 1 consolidated election ballot.

The referendum coincides with the election of several key positions, which will involve electing a new mayor and clerk. Mayor John Hicks and Clerk Frances Smith opted not to seek re-election. Seeking to become mayor are Ward 3 Alderman Landon Pettit and Ward 2 Alderman David Link. Tammy Beechler was the only person to file for Clerk. No one filed for treasurer.

Seeking re-election are Robert Fritz (Ward 1), Frank Barrett Jr. (Ward 2), and Janet Odell-Mueller (Ward 4). Similar to the treasurer race, no one filed for the seat in Ward 3, and both positions will be appointed by the new council.

The council discussed the issue of seeking a public safety sales tax on December 9 with continued discussion on December 23, with initial consideration to pass the resolution without seeking voter approval.

The final version of the proposal on January 13 would confirm that the matter will be weighed at the ballot box.

City Treasurer Dan Fisher said in the December meetings that the city agreed to seek the tax during collective bargaining negotiations with the police officers’ union.

The council expects roughly $200,000 to be brought in from the windfall of the new sales tax, which will offset the costs of additional police officers to cover police protection services in nearby “satellite” communities.

Benld Alderman Jerry Saracco noted to the Benld City Council last month that “satellite communities” were also being asked to consider seeking the public safety sales tax to defray police protection costs. However, there appears to be no interest on the part of the Benld City Council to follow the lead of Gillespie.

At this time, Gillespie is the only municipality in Macoupin County that has the sales tax referendum on the ballot.

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Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.