No cries for state tax hike from Pontiac city square

The Livingston County Courthouse, on the federal registry of landmarks and located in the center of downtown Pontiac, was a central scene in the movie Grandview U.S.A. Built in 1874, the building still houses county offices       Photo by Don Druin, Daily Leader, Pontiac

Gov. James R. Thompson asked lawmakers during his budget message to join him in "seeking to persuade the people of Illinois to invest more in themselves and in their families' future." But if the governor follows through on a pledge to crisscross the state promoting a tax hike to provide more money for schools, prisons and human services, he may not hear calls for a tax increase from Pontiac. During interviews a week before the governor's February 25 address, most residents of this central Illinois city said that they pay little attention to the issues that loom large in Springfield.

The general attitude in this city of 12,000 is one of apathy toward state government. Businessmen leave issues to the local chamber of commerce, which places its trust in its former president, Rep. Thomas W. Ewing (R-87, Pontiac), and the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. Realtors feel comfortable having the Illinois Association of Realtors follow legislation, and offices of state agencies in Pontiac leave lobbying to their Springfield directors. As for the farmers in the area, they are an independent lot and do not seek help unless they really need it.

Why? Because the quality of life in the Livingston County seat is not suffering. The local economy is generally sound. Major manufacturers, including W. A. Krueger and Caterpillar, are expanding and providing new jobs. In fact, a housing shortage looms due to the steady growth of the area.

Typical for a county seat, Pontiac's main business district surrounds a historic courthouse. The 113-year-old building, a source of great pride, is considered the main reason that Hollywood producers chose Pontiac as the location to film Grandview U.S.A. in 1983. While there are currently six vacant storefronts downtown, most businesses are doing well. "The economy is flat now, but it is moving upward," said Ron Rutherford, a paint store owner whose mother sold wallpaper in Pontiac for 30 years. The Pontiac Computer Center, the only downtown computer store, is also keeping ahead, although owner John Splear admits it is challenging to sell computers in a small town. A new department store, Square West, opened downtown last year and generates most of its business from residents who want to avoid a 30-mile drive south to Bloomington for shopping. Rural Livingston County residents still travel to the county seat for shopping and other business.

Rich soil and proximity to markets helped most Livingston County farmers stay in business when farm prices were low, but several marginal farmers were forced to give in to economic pressures. Close to 250 of roughly 2,000 farmers have left agriculture during the past five years, said Marion Shier, an adviser for the county farm bureau. City government is well aware of the importance of agriculture to the local economy. "Agriculture is one part of a diverse economic base," said city administrator Robert Karls. He emphasized that if any part of that base collapsed, the whole economy would suffer. Shier expects more farmers will leave agriculture before things pick up, but his outlook is optimistic. "I think the general mood for 1988 is generally upbeat in comparison to recent years," he said.

The value of farmland has also had an effect on area education. Since much of the property in area school districts farmland that has fallen in value, farmland assessments have dropped and schools and local governments have received less property tax revenue. State aid to schools was cut in July, and in February the governor proposed no increases for education for next year. The shortage of money has not yet touched the average citizen. Betty Harris, former managing editor of The (Pontiac) Daily Leader, said the schools may be short on funds, but are getting by. Yet the schools are headed for troubles, said Wayne Krula, superintendent of grade school district 429. "We're going backwards in terms of revenues, and the only thing we can do is to exercise cost containment measures wherever we can."

The district has done just that. Last year Krula denied all requests for new equipment unless the current equipment failed. But Krula said the schools cannot continue this way: "There's only so many times you can do that, and sooner or later it takes

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its toll and the quality of education suffers. I think we're at that point now." Within two years the district's working cash fund, which is used to compensate for loss of revenue, will run dry. "We're about two to three years away from insolvency in the sense that we're going to have to start borrowing," he said.

One area high school district is already looking at borrowing. The district includes two rural communities as a result of consolidations in 1986. Districts in Saunemin and Odell joined Pontiac High School District 90 when they could no longer continue to fund both their high schools and grade schools. "They were very adamant that they wanted to preserve their grade school," said Supt. Ronald Yates. Through the conversion the Pontiac high school inherited several teachers with seniority, raising operational costs. "They were higher on the salary schedule, and teachers we had to let go were some of our first and second year teachers who were lower on the salary schedule," Yates said.

Yates and Krula believe additional funding is needed from the state, either through redirecting priorities or through a tax increase. Krula said that the public has not felt the cutbacks yet: "Before the people ever start to feel it and before those cuts come about, that probably lags what's actually happening financially by two to three years."

The oldest and largest state government presence in the area is the Pontiac Correctional Center. The 98-year-old maximum security prison is an integral part of evryday life in Pontiac. Several residential homes are located within 100 yards of the prison fence that is posted with signs warning people to keep away. While residents said they would not seek a maximum security prison if they had a choice today, living with one brings little day-to-day fear. The greatest risk is to people who work at the facility. "It's just real sad when you know people who work there because cooks get stabbed, and wardens get killed," said Jane Ewing, a local high school music teacher. She is referring to the stabbing of a food service worker in 1983 and the murder of a unit superintendent last September. Robert Ellinger, local president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said correction workers will always face dangerous work, but an updating of security would lessen employee contact with prisoners. He stresses a need for more electronic locks and a higher guard to inmate ratio.

One prison worker, who supplements her income by working nights at the local theater, nonchalantly mentions the risks of the job: "I leave work everyday, whether they take me out a as a corpse or not. I've seen plenty of corpses out there." That is a basic fear of many workers, Ellinger said. "If you're a correctional officer, your life is always on the line." Ellinger said improvements have been made in recent years, such as upgrading the catwalk inside the prison and doubling the manned towers around the prison yard. Yet he noted that new medium security prisons under construction have the newest technology, while the older maximum security centers are becoming outdated. "Pontiac needs to be torn down and rebuilt brick by brick," he said.

Sen. John W. Maitland Jr. (R-44, Bloomington), whose district includes Pontiac, agreed. "Rep. Ewing and I are both pushing for [updating the prison]," he said. But that work would require additional state revenue. Both Maitland and Ewing said that they would not vote for a tax increase unless action is taken on revising the school state aid formula and on reforming Chicago public schools. The Ewing support also depends on a revision of the mental health code and a commitment on improvements at the prison.

As a Pontiac resident, Rep. Ewing deals more directly with prison workers. "I have been an advocate for better pay and insurance benefits for correctional officers," he said, "because in my opinion a Pontiac correctional officer faces every bit as much danger as any state policeman."

The prison's impact on the local economy does not go unnoticed. With over 800 workers, the prison is the largest employer in town. Riley B. "Benny" Harris, president of the Pontiac Area Chamber of Commerce, proudly displays the prison to representatives of businesses thinking of moving to Pontiac. "I drive them by the prison and say, 'This is the Pontiac correction facility, it employs 800 people and has never had a major layoff. Can you guarantee that kind of stability?' " Pontiac also receives help from state government in attracting business. Harris, who works with the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs in those efforts, sees the governor's sometimes controversial overseas trips as a way to encourage foreign investment in Illinois.

Aside from the prison, several state social service agencies have offices in Pontiac. The local directors point to a need for more office space and for more state money. The city provides space for a small outpost for the Department of Employment Security. The one employee in the Pontiac office, Nancy Alredge, places over 1,000 people in jobs each year. She said that with extra help and computers that number could increase. "The problem is they're pulling people out of outpost offices, not putting them in," she said. The Department of Public Aid has its own Pontiac office, with a caseload that has increased by more than 100 people each year. "We could provide faster services with a larger budget," said Gayle Gillette, the local director. She would like more computers so people do not have to wait for assistance since some are embarrased to be seen in the office.

Although Rep. Ewing would like to offer more assistance, he points to the shortage of state money. "There isn't going to be enough money to give much of an increase to agencies this year," he said. That shortage of funds prompted Thompson, in proposing his level-funded budget to the General Assembly, to pledge to take the case for a tax hike to the citizens. "We elected leaders are entitled to leadership from the people as well," he said.

But cries for a tax increase were not ringing out from Pontiac. Rep. Ewing said people tend not to say much if everything's working well. While educators, social service providers and state employees say they need more state money, Pontiac residents in mid-February had not recognized a need. □

Brett D. Johnson is pursuing a master's degree in Public Affairs Reporting from Sangamon State University. A 1987 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, he was editor of the Illinois Wesleyan Argus for two years.

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