Prairie State Continues As Major Income Source For County Govt

By Debby Stricker

As the coal refuse pile at the Prairie State Energy Campus grows, so does its payment to Washington County government. 

The County anticipates income of about $900,000 for the tipping fee that Prairie State pays for waste material placed on the pile. 

The County designated $116,000 of it to the General fund to balance the budget. The remainder went to the Capital Improvement Fund (buildings), rather than relying on it for general operations. In recent years, however, the county has had to borrow from that fund to meet expenses.

Through the Prairie States payment of $1 million a year for ten years to county government, the county built the Judicial Center and renovated the Court House.

Funds are now being used to  build a storage shed, and upgrade the parking area at the jail for about $275,000, and to upgrade the jail.

Targeted for a future project is a new building for the Ambulance Service.

Read the full story in this week’s issue