Macon Reporter

Decatur's approved 2021 city budget authorizes approximately $187 million in expenses, of which $168 million is funded in new revenue and $19 million in reserves and carryover balances.

The City Council unanimously approved the budget on Dec. 7, according to WAND 17 News. The Council also made it a point to prioritize funding for police and firefighters.

"It's very important that the budget included funding to retain the same or increase number of police and firefighters," Councilman David Horn said.

The City Council approved funding for a new fire truck for the Decatur Fire Department that will strengthen the city’s ability to reach the east side of town. The fire department has been borrowing a fire truck from the Bloomington Fire Department since August after one of the city’s two working ladder trucks was damaged in a crash.

Decatur Fire Chief Jeff Abbott said that the new truck will be available within a few months. The department will continue to use the Bloomington truck until then. 

The city also voted to approve the negotiation and execution of an agreement with Paladina Health LLC to create a health care clinic that will benefit approximately 450 employees on the city’s health care benefit plan.

The Council tabled whether to make $800,000 in grants available to help small businesses. Some hospitality sector businesses are struggling to survive following the implementation of Tier 3 COVID-19 government orders. 

City leaders said that the budget, which runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, is a work in progress. They added that cuts are possible, but that it won’t happen until at least July when Illinois approves its state budget. City leaders will conduct finance reports every three months in anticipation of potential budget changes.

With so many local businesses continuing to struggle from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and revenues down, the budget has to be able to address as as many critical concerns as possible, City Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said at the meeting.

“The budget contains everything that the city is supposed to do,” Wolfe said.