83-47 AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE EXECUTION OF AN ESCROW AGREEMENT

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. . 1`^t�►��,.,� . . -�y�� A�:,:� Manag�r. The present Director of Finance is Joseph J. DeMichiel, .who took the position in January 1977. He is a certified public accountant with 7 years prior accounting and management experience at The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. The City Council consists of six councilmen elected at large to staggered 4 year terms. In addition to its legislative powers, the City Council approves the City's budgets. Employees and Labor Relations Of the 485 employees of the City, 270 are represented by three different unions. The City has a two year contract with each union, and all of the contracts expired April 30, 1983. The City regards its general labor relations as good, and there have been no strikes or work stoppages in recent years. A tentative approval of a new two year contract was presented to the City Council May 16, 1983. This tentative 2 year contract provided for a wage and benefit . freeze for a full year eneded 1983-1984 with a reopener clause as to wages and benefits only for 1984-1985. Final ratification should take place prior to July 1, 1983. Overl.apping and Belated Entities There are 14 major overlapping Decatur area units of local government, each of which is a separate governmental entity under the laws of the State, derives its powers and authority under the laws of the State, and maintains its own financial records and accounts. These are the City, six school districts, the Decatur Sanitary District, the Decatur Park District, Macon County, the Civic Center Authority, the Macon County Conservation District, Decatur Township and the Richland Community College District. The Civic Center Authority, which is governed by a 9 member appointed Board of Directors, has no independent authority to incur debt or to levy taxes. The City's commitments and obligations to the Civic Center Authority are described under "Financial Operations of the City -- Expenditures -- Civic Center Authority." The remaining thirteen entities levy taxes upon property located in the City and, in some cases, in other parts of the County as well, receive an allocation of the personal property replacement tax and are authorized to issue debt obligations. Non-home rule units are subject to statutory limitations on debt and, in certain cases, limitations on the rates or amounts of tax levies. These overlapping entities and other public bodies share the City's tax base, but are not governed, managed or financed by the City. The following are brief descriptions of the major overlapping entities which share the tax base with the City. School Districts. Six public school districts serve the City and, in some cases, other portions of the County as well. Decatur Public School District No. 61, the largest of such districts, with total enrollment at the beginning of the 1982-83 school year of approximately 14,500 has reported an overall declining enrollment pattern during recent years. The District has recently sold Lake View High School to Archer Daniels Midland Corporation. After closing 5 schools, the District has been able to sell all but 1 of the schools. Each district is governed by an elected board of education and its operations are funded through property taxes. State aid to education and Federal and State grants. In addition, one parochial high school and seven parochial elementary schools provide private education to approximately 1,700 students in the Decatur a rea. 9