The Clinton City Council Monday night approved the levies for the upcoming fiscal year.

According to City Treasurer, Clint Lichtenwalter, the pension funds are the focus of the levy increase for this year. He says it's always been a focal point of their budgeting and they continue to exemplify that commitment to keeping those funds close to 100-percent.

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Lichtenwalter notes the EAV will see a slight increase and the tax rate will increase just above 4-percent.

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Indications among the Clinton City Council and Administration are a property tax freeze being discussed in Springfield is not going to happen. Clinton Mayor Roger Cyrulik says they don't have a lot of options until legislation is passed. City Administrator Tim Followell indicates they will wait until the next levy period to make a decision.

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Clinton Commissioner of Finance, Tom Edmunds, says his hope would be for the legislature to allow them a little leverage to adjust the tax rate. He says right now, the Clinton levies are all but mandated by the state.