The Treasurer's Office comprises four areas of responsibility -- the Treasurer's Office, Sewer Billing and Collection, Police Pension Fund and Firemen's Pension Fund. Walnut Hill Cemetery records also are available from the Treasurer's Office.
Service Hours are 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday
The Treasurer is elected for a four-year term along with the Mayor and the City Clerk. He is the custodian of all City Funds. The office is responsible for two different departments, the Treasurer's Office and the Sewer Billing and Collection Department. In addition the Treasurer, along with the City Clerk and the Director of Finance, is a primary advisor to the Mayor and the Department Heads on City decisions and activities.
The Treasurer's Office receives all monies belonging to the City of Belleville, pays all warrants signed by the Mayor and countersigned by the City Clerk and keeps a separate account of each fund or appropriation. All monies received by the Treasurer's Office are deposited within 48 hours as part of a checks and balances policy. All bank reconciliations are done in the Treasurer's Office, while all checks are produced in the Finance Department. The City of Belleville expects to receive approximately $99,000,000 in revenues in the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
After the annual audit is completed no later than six months from the start of the fiscal year (May 1) or by October 31, the annual Treasurer's Report is generated in the Treasurer's Office, filed with the County Clerk and published in the local newspaper.
Also under the Treasurer's control are the Police and Firemen's Pension Funds. By state statute the City Treasurer is the custodian of both the Police and Firemen's Pension Funds. These funds have a combined total of over $45,000,000, most of which is invested through money managers.
The Sewer and Trash Billing Department generates all sewer and trash bills for the City of Belleville and it receives and deposits the monies collected. The combined Billing and Collection Department has four full-time employees. Beginning March 1, 2008 the City moved from bimonthly billing to monthly billings for all customers and to placing bills for most rental property in the names of the property owners. The department generates approximatey 250,000 bills per year for sewer and trash customers. Customers who are significantly delinquent in paying their accounts are placed on level-pay billing. These customers are required to pay current charges each month plus a predetermined amount toward retiring their debt. In its proactive policy for debt collection, the City has an agreement with the Illinois American Water Company whereby the water company will, at the City's request, shut off the water to sewer customers who do not pay their bills. In addition accounts of the most recalcitrant debtors are referred to a professional collection agency. These actions and the threat of the actions have greatly increased the City's ability to secure payment for service.
Sewer bills are based on the amount of water consumption. For the 2011-2012 fiscal year, sewer billings are expected to be approximately $6,220,000 and billings for trash pickup is to be approximately $3,056,600. The money collected for trash services is transferred to the General Fund each month. The General Fund pays all bills for the Sanitation Department such as salaries and landfill fees.
The City has in progress an $80,000,000 project mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency to renovate and expand its aged sewer plant and sewer lines system. The Billing Department now accepts payment by credit card and automatic withdrawl. The City continues to strive both for improved collection and for efficiency and accuracy in processing payments.
The City of Belleville levies a tax, as calculated by the State of Illinois, for police officers' pensions. For Fiscal Year 2011-12, the City will contribute $2,029,481.00 to the Police Pension Fund. This will be achieved by using the tax levy and the replacement tax. By combining these two sources of revenue, the City's contribution to the pension fund will be the amount actuarially determined by the State to meet Section 3-125 of the Illinois Pension Code. This fund presently has 81 participants which generated approximately $475,000.00 in employee contributions. There are 67 retirees who will draw about $2,600,00.00 during fiscal year 2011-12.
The pension fund is governed by a five member board, which meets monthly. The fund utilizes the services of Capital Gains, Incorporated, (Gary Karshna) as its investment manager. The value of the fund on December 31, 2009 was $24,708,091.21. On April 30, 2010 the value was $27,277,583.
The City of Belleville levies a tax, as calculated by the State of Illinois, for firemen pensions. For fiscal year 2011-12, the city will contribute $2,169,760.00 to the Belleville Fire Pension Fund. This will be achieved by using the tax levy and the replacement tax. By combining these two sources of revenue, the City's contribution to the pension fund will be the amount actuarially determined by the State to meet Section 4-118 of the Illinois Pension Code. There are 63 firefighters participating in this fund. Belleville has 68 retirees drawing pensions, and this expense is expected to be about $2,600,00.00 for the 2011-12 year. This special revenue fund pays for all expenses relating to the City of Belleville's retired firefighters.
The fund is governed by a five-member board, which meets monthly. The money manager for the board is PNC Institutional Investments, Janet W. Newcomb Vice President, Market Director. PNC has control of the total assets of the fund. on April 30, 2010 the fund's assets totalled $18,156,056.00.