E-Help 6/29/2006


INCLUDES:
2006/07 IMTA Board
Sample Purchase Policy and Email Policy (Highland)
Helpful Link to Mike Bazzell, Alton PD website- free software recommendations
Survey Health Insurance premiums (Alton)
RFP for Legal Services (Lisle Woodridge Fire District)
Cash Payment in Lieu of Health Insurance Benefits (LWFD)
Web site Development (Machesney Park)
Sales Tax Response
 

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IMTA BOARD 2006/07
Congratulations to newly installed IMTA President Bob Mullins and Board Members.
http://www.imtausa.org/board.htm

I received several updates that I will make to the website concerning newly appointed committee chairs, during the next couple days.

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SAMPLE POLICIES
We have recently added Highland’s Purchasing Policy and an Email Policy to the IMTA website at http://www.imtausa.org/policies.htm

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HELPFUL LINKS
I also added the link to Mike Bazzell, Alton Police Dept: High Crimes Division’s website.  Mike prepared an excellent identity theft presentation and made several software recommendations to better secure your computer.  The list is included on his website.

http://www.bazzell.netfirms.com/

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SURVEY HEALTH INSURANCE
Municipal Name:
Population:
Total Employees covered by health insurance:
Insurance Carrier:

If you have more than one plan option (hmo, ppo, spo..) please send info for each.

Cost of employee only health insurance coverage charged monthly by insurance provider (gross):
Employee’s cost or percentage:

Cost of family health insurance coverage charged monthly by insurance provider (gross):
Employee’s cost or percentage:


Grayslake 20,330
70 full time
Concert Health
PPO employee only $290.84
SPO employee only $276.58
Employee’s share: no cost to employee (100% paid by Village)

PPO family coverage $915.19
SPO family coverage $870.19
Employee’s share: 15% of total amount

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RFP for LEGAL SERVICES
Our Fire Chief has requested us to create an RFP for legal services and wants it by the next board meeting which we would have to distribute to the trustees by 7/18/06.  Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Thanks
Cathy Hojek
Finance Assistant
Lisle Woodridge Fire District
chojek@lwfd.org

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CASH PAYMENT IN LIEU OF HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS
Does anyone offer your employee a cash payout if they choose not to take the Health, Vision or Dental insurance? 
If so, how much and how do you pay, lump sum, quarterly, monthly?
Thanks
Cathy Hojek
Finance Assistant
Lisle Woodridge Fire District
chojek@lwfd.org

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WEB SITE DEVELOPMENT
Does anyone have a sample Bid Package for Web Site Development?
Bob Mullins
BobM@machesneypark.org

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SALES TAX RESPONSE

You can enact Home Rule sales tax in .25% increments by local ordinance.  Your city attorney should be able to assist, as well as the Local Tax office of Illinois Department of Revenue.

General Information on enacting Home Rule sales tax
http://www.revenue.state.il.us/LocalGovernment/Overview/HowDisbursed/homerule.htm

Simple projection of the revenues would be derived by using the sales tax distribution information you are already receiving from the Illinois Department of Revenue.  The tax rate applicable in Chicago Heights is currently 7.75%.  The municipality receives 1% of total tax rate applicable in the community. 

In the simplest analysis, if the home rule tax is .25%, the additional taxes generated would approximate the current taxes divided by 4.  However, the Home Rule tax can apply to all sales, or it can exclude automotive sales.  If it does not apply to vehicle sales, then your projections must remove the estimated amount of taxes being received from automobile sales to determine the projected incremental tax.  You must also look at your business community, as well as neighbors, as a substantial increase in sales taxes through Home Rule tax within your community can cause shoppers to change their shopping patterns and shop elsewhere to save the added tax.  This is part of the reason why automobile sales are often excluded from a Home Rule tax.

A couple of IDR links below may also be helpful are below

State of Illinois sales taxes by standard industry code – data table.  By pulling up the calendar year data, you can approximate the amount of taxes generated within the 10 primary SIC code classifications that the IDR provides detail.  This can be helpful to estimate impacts of automotive sales, and impacts of Home Rule tax on certain categories.  Note: on the screen from the link below you can also click on comparison search, and compare up to 5 items (other tax periods, municipalities, or tax types).

http://www.revenue.state.il.us/app/kob/KOBReport?r=Specific

Specific example of 2005 calendar year municipal taxes for Chicago Heights:

http://www.revenue.state.il.us/app/kob/KOBReport?r=Specific&p=20050&m=0160011&c=000&t=01&x=96&y=14

State of Illinois sales tax rate manual – provides detail of the tax rates applicable throughout the state:

http://www.revenue.state.il.us/Publications/Sales/strrm/07012006/st25.pdf

Brad L. Bettenhausen
Treasurer/Finance Director
Village of Tinley Park
bbettenhausen@tinleypark.org