Those numbers were provided to WLDS-WEAI News by Mayor Andy Ezard yesterday. The exact total is $232,138.40, with the majority of that coming from the Illinois Department of Corrections Facility on East Morton. Illinois Schools for the Visually Impaired and Deaf also owe.
Ezard says the last payment from the state was August of 2015. The state has been locked in a budget impasse since the start of the current fiscal year, last July. But, he says at this time, the city isn’t affected.
“We can absorb that amount because of our savings in the past. If this continues for the next six months it will show some impact and we will have to make adjustments. Obviously we are concerned, but we are not concerned to the point where we are going to raise rates to cover this. It shows the community of ours that has institutions, what impact it can make.”
He says at this point, shutoff notices aren’t being sent to the state facilities.
“We are not going to shut off the water to these institutions. That would hurt a lot of people. If it keeps continuing we will just have to see in regards to recouping some money and take it one step at a time.”
Ezard says something needs to be done quickly with the state budget.
He says other satellite agencies running Jacksonville water owe smaller amounts of cash.
It was recently reported Taylorville is owed a similar amount from the state prison for water bills.