The Quincy City Council will vote on a proposal to approve a $2.384 million cut to the 2024-25 Fiscal Year budget during their meeting on Tuesday, January 21. The decision comes after the Finance Committee met on Monday night and discussed the amended budget. Though the aldermen could have voted on the budget the same night, Comptroller Sheri Ray, who was recovering from a medical procedure, joined the Finance Committee meeting remotely and suggested delaying the vote until next week.
Ray explained that she wouldn’t be able to finalize the budget sheets in time for the department heads due to her medical recovery. She also mentioned that the city expects two more personal property replacement tax (PPRT) payments from the state, but the total PPRT funding will be significantly lower this year—down to $4.867 million from $7.223 million in the previous year.
Budget Reductions Impact Various Departments
The proposed budget includes several reductions across various departments. Some departments are facing substantial cuts, including an 18% reduction in the building maintenance fund and a 15% cut in the comptroller’s fund. However, other departments like the fire department and police department will see smaller cuts, with reductions of just 1% and 2% respectively. The overall budget cuts make up about 4% of the city’s total proposed budget, which amounts to $61.3 million if the cuts are approved.
Mayor Mike Troup commented that department heads reviewed the changes to their budgets and there were no objections to the proposed cuts. Some of the larger reductions include an 8% decrease in funding for the Quincy Public Library, which will see a $261,000 cut. Additionally, the capital projects fund is set to be reduced by $577,400, which is a 2% decrease, bringing it down to $24.873 million.
Methodology Behind Budget Cuts
Jeff Mays, the director of administrative services, shared the process used to arrive at these budget cuts. Instead of applying a broad, across-the-board reduction, the Finance Committee worked closely with each department to review spending patterns. They analyzed the department’s current spending and compared it with previous year’s expenditures from the same months.
Mays explained, “We didn’t just apply a flat 2% cut. We went line by line to determine where departments weren’t spending as planned, and those were the areas we focused on for reductions.” This approach was more time-consuming but allowed for a more thoughtful and targeted reduction strategy.
One of the significant areas of savings came from healthcare and the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF). Ray pointed out that many of the savings came from these areas, especially in departments like the City Council, the mayor’s office, and the treasurer’s office. Additionally, the city decided to cut capital spending for the remainder of the year if funds were not spent in the first eight months of the fiscal year.
Ray also mentioned that some open positions, particularly in the comptroller’s office and planning department, will not be filled immediately, contributing to the savings.
Other Council Actions
In addition to the budget discussions, the Quincy City Council handled several other important matters during their meeting. Aldermen voted to send a request from the Otis Company to rezone property at 504 N. 54th from rural/agricultural (RU1) to general commercial (C2) to facilitate retail and commercial development. The council also approved the subdivision of the same property from one lot to five lots under the “small tracts” provision.
The council also allowed the American Businesswomen Association Quincy Charter Chapter to conduct a raffle, waiving the bond requirement through April 5. A five-year contract renewal was approved with Inframark, a company based in Houston, Texas, for the management and operation of the wastewater treatment plant. However, aldermen rejected a bid for the Quincy Regional Airport roof replacement project, which will be redesigned and bid on again later.
Other council decisions included a three-year agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for $45,000 in wildlife management services, a traffic code amendment to authorize the Quincy Police Department to impound vehicles involved in criminal activity or without a valid driver’s license, and amendments to the traffic code to address parking issues on Third Street and Vermont.
Lastly, the aldermen approved a proposal from Barnard Elevator Company for $109,774.83 to modernize the elevator at the Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials Community Service and Weatherization Office at 706 Maine.
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