Belt receives award for advocating for volunteer firefighters

EAST ST. LOUIS – After years of pushing for a volunteer firefighter tax credit, State Senator Christopher Belt was able to secure a tax incentive for these volunteers in this year’s revenue package. Through his efforts and advocacy on the topic, Belt received an award from the St. Clair/Monroe County Fire Chiefs Association and MABAs Division 32.

“Volunteer firefighters are the backbone  of communities throughout Illinois,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “They selflessly dedicate their time ensuring our communities are kept safe in emergencies. Offering them a small tax incentive is just one way we can thank them and honor their service.”

A tax credit for volunteer firefighters was included in Senate Bill 1963, which passed both chambers earlier this year with bipartisan support. To qualify for the $500 tax credit, people must serve as a volunteer firefighter for at least nine months of the year and receive no more than $5,000 in compensation for their services during the taxable year.

“On behalf of the St. Clair/Monroe County Fire Chiefs Association and Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Division 32, I was pleased to present Senator Belt with a small token of appreciation at our meeting this week,” said Tom Elliff, fire chief/administrator of Signal Hill Fire Department. “Senator Belt has worked tirelessly in the best interest of the fire service to ensure that volunteer firefighters in the state are recognized for their efforts to help keep their communities safe. We hope this tax credit will add more to the efforts being done around the state to recruit and retain volunteers.”

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter in your community, contact the fire chief of your local fire department.

Belt highlights funding for Cahokia Heights for housing and community revitalization

EAST ST. LOUIS – The City of Cahokia Heights will receive funding for affordable housing and community revitalization through the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s Strong Communities Program, supported by State Senator Christopher Belt.

“Investing in affordable housing uplifts our community and boosts our local economy,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “We are taking strong strides toward revitalization and attracting investments in the communities that need it most. Cahokia Heights residents deserve sustainable, livable housing options and this funding will help the area continue to grow.”

The Strong Communities Program is designed to support local revitalization efforts and attract further investment in communities that may lack the resources needed to tackle vacant, abandoned and deteriorated properties.

A total of $19 million was approved by IHDA to support these revitalization efforts across Illinois. The grants are funded by the Rebuild Illinois capital plan and will leverage IHDA’s existing funding to increase property values, create jobs, help reduce crime, generate additional tax revenue and attract further community investment in underserved communities around the state. Cahokia Heights in Belt’s district is set to receive a total of $225,000.

“Vacant and abandoned properties continue to be a strain on local budgets and resources in communities throughout Illinois, which is why IHDA created the Strong Communities Program to assist local governments with their neighborhood revitalization efforts,” IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust said. “Through the Strong Communities Program, IHDA seeks to help communities transform these properties back into positive, revenue-generating assets for neighborhoods.”

A total of $30 million in grant funding has been awarded through two application rounds. For more information, visit IHDA’s website.

Belt emphasizes energy bill assistance program, urges residents to apply

• Energy
• Assistance
• LIHEAP

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt is encouraging all eligible people to apply to this year’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help with utility costs. Applications will be accepted starting Oct. 2 through Aug. 15, 2024.

“This program is an example of our state’s commitment to helping those in need and building a more equitable society,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “With rising energy costs and other economic uncertainties, it’s more important now than ever to offer assistance to those who need it most.”

The energy bill assistance program offered through the Help Illinois Families Program in program year 2023 will provide $237 million to eligible families to assist with natural gas, propane and electricity bills. Last year's LIHEAP funding — which was available from September 2022 through May 2023 — provided assistance to a record number of 311,214 households.

Beginning Oct. 2, eligible families can apply to this year’s program by visiting HelpIllinoisFamilies.com or by visiting their local agency (a list of partners throughout the state can be found here). Families can also call 1-833-711-0374 for assistance in 30 languages.

“LIHEAP serves as a lifeline for low-income families, seniors and individuals with disabilities who have struggled with the increasing price of energy bills,” said Belt. “I’m urging all qualified people to apply to this year’s program so everyone is able to stay safe and comfortable this winter.”

All families who meet the qualifications and provide proper documentation will receive support until funding is exhausted. Families who earn up to two times the federal poverty level are eligible to receive support through LIHEAP.

Belt: Local schools to receive over $12 million in evidence-based funding

• Education
• ISBE
• Students
• Evidence Based Funding

EAST ST. LOUIS — State Senator Christopher Belt announced that nearly two dozen school districts across the area will receive over $12 million in additional funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years.

“These investments will do wonders for the physical and intellectual learning environments across the district, and the students are more than deserving of the utmost support,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Raising children is a community effort, and I am thankful for all the hard work parents, teachers and other staff have done to uplift their students.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula — an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing its state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.

Local schools set to receive funding through the formula:

• Venice Community Unit School District 3: $82
• Safe School – St. Clair ROE: $70,886
• Lebanon Community School District 9: $20
• New Athens Community Unit School District 60: $38,865
• Freeburg Community Consolidated School District 70: $102,407
• Freeburg Community High School District 77: $175,771
• Shiloh Village School District 85: $264,299
• O’Fallon Community Consolidated School District 90: $2,173,691
• Grant Community Consolidated School District 110: $140,767
• Wolf Branch School District 113: $79,026
• Whiteside School District 115: $386,350
• High Mount School District 116: $31,682
• Belleville School District 118: $693,140
• Belle Valley School District 119: $561,655
• Smithton Community Consolidated School District 130: $208,646
• Millstadt Community Consolidated School District 160: $14,662
• Harmony-Emge School District 175: $224,447
• Signal Hill School District 181: $42,712
• Cahokia Community Unit School District 187: $82,057
• Brooklyn Unit School District 188: $2,342
• East St. Louis School District 189: $4,517
• Dupo Community Unit School District 196: $122,597
• Belleville Township High School District 201: $2,622,380
• O’Fallon Township High School District 203: $1,447,756

The Fiscal Year 24 budget invested $350 million in new funding into students’ success through the evidence-based funding model.

“Every student in Illinois deserves a high-quality education and resources that support their brilliance; adequate funding our schools is one step toward realizing that future. As a proud teacher in East St. Louis District 189, I have seen firsthand how access can change the trajectory of a student’s life,” said 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year Briana Morales. “I am overjoyed to see the excellence in education within the 57^th district receiving this necessary funding for students to thrive.”

For more information on the FY 24 evidence-based funding distribution, visit the Illinois State Board of Education’s website.