Belvidere Bulletin December 1, 2022

December 1, 2022

Your Weekly City News...City Views!!

This weeks photo provided by Firefighter Nic Thornton

Belvidere's Official Christmas Tree

If you were in downtown Belvidere early Monday morning you may have noticed some activity near City Hall.

Crews from the City's Street Department, with the assistance of Creative Crane & Rigging, placed the annual tree for this year's Hometown Christmas. Donated by Cory and Nikki Dovenmuehle, the Blue Spruce was cut and transported to The Hub Plaza and will be lit by Mayor Morris this Friday as part of the annual celebration.

The City thanks the Dovenmuehle's for their generous gift of the tree and Creative Crane & Rigging for their donation of time and equipment.

Hometown Christmas- This Weekend!!

Hometown Christmas is Friday, December 2^nd located in Downtown Belvidere. It kicks off at 5:30 pm. with the Light up the Night Parade. Upon conclusion of the parade the Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held in Hub Plaza located on the corner of South State Street and East Pleasant Street. Hometown Christmas is full of actives for all ages. Take a ride in a horse drawn carriage, enjoy outdoor ice skating or even get your picture taken with Santa! To view all the events and times please click the link below. We hope to see to see you there!

Hometown Christmas Schedule and Events

City of Belvidere receives ComEd Holiday Grant

We are pleased to share that earlier this fall the City applied for a $2,500 grant through ComEd’s Powering the Holidays Program and has been selected as a recipient. The City will use these funds to help with expenses for Hometown Christmas. While the event is sponsored by the Belvidere Area Chamber of Commerce, representatives from the City’s Community Development, Public Works, Police and Fire Departments work closely with the Chamber on many behind the scenes activities such as: Closing and barricading streets, placing and picking up trash receptacles, providing police and fire presence during the event, placing the Christmas tree and lights on State Street, and sweeping the streets after the event. Costs for these services are absorbed by the City.

While the funds do not cover the City’s costs, we always look for ways to offset expenses whenever possible and are pleased to do so for this year’s Hometown Christmas event.

Looking for the Perfect Gift?

City of Belvidere Historic Preservation Commission hosts multiple fundraisers throughout the year to fund their Property Maintenance Program. One way to help give back to the community is by purchasing a book! The postcard books are $20 a piece and available at the City of Belvidere Community Development Department (815)547-7177. They will also be for sale at the Boone County Museum of History during Hometown Christmas.

What you need to know about the 2022 City of Belvidere Tax Levy

Each year the City must adopt a property tax levy by the last Tuesday in December. On Monday, November 28 City Council held a special meeting to approve the Announcement of the Estimated Tax Levy for 2022. This document is not the final levy amount, but rather the start of a conversation. Council members will have opportunities to make changes prior to approval.

The estimated amount of the tax levy needed to finance the various City needs and activities is $5,367,696 with an additional $807,494 for the operations of the Ida Public Library. This estimate represents an increase of $446,731 over the current year, and would equate to an additional $55 per year more or less (15 cents per day) for each property owner.

Key dates leading up to approval of the levy:

December 5 at 7:00 p.m.

-First Reading of the Tax Levy Ordinance

December 12 at 6:00 p.m.

-Discussion

December 19 at 7:00 p.m.

-Public Hearing

-Second Reading and Passage of the Tax Levy Ordinance

Note: The City has not increased its property tax levy since 2017. In other words, the City has continued to collect the same amount from property owners year over year despite the increase in expenses.

Leaf Pick up will Continue...

Leaf pick up will continue through the month of December, weather permitting. Please have all leaves on the terrace, at the curb, or along the edge of the pavement for non-curbed streets as the vacuum can only reach leaves within three feet from pavement.

Please remember burning leaves, grass, trees, brush and garbage within the City of Belvidere is illegal. To report violations, please call Police Dispatch at 815-544-2135.