By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Decatur City Council took a giant step toward finalizing its 2024 budget at its meeting Tuesday night, spending an hour and 14 minutes going over the figures prepared by Clerk-Treasurer Phyllis Whitright.
The figure council was given to work with amounted to $13,800,759. But that will be changed in the days ahead with additions and subtractions having come from the lengthy discussion.
Department heads were questioned as each item was looked over.
All departments and funds showed increases.
Following are some things learned and heard from the budget discussions:
* City employees will be getting a 3% salary increase.
* Kim Brandt, director of The HIVE arts center, will have her hours increased from 20 per week to 30. The downtown center has become a huge asset. “Rentals have really taken off, Mayor Dan Rickord said.
“She has really taken ownership of the place,” Councilman Matt Dyer added.
* A total of $50,000 is in the Building/Zoning Department to replace a 2008 model vehicle “that’s nickeling and diming us,” according to Superintendent Curt Witte. “But we’ve checked everywhere and can’t get a price (on a new model) from anyone,” Witte said. “They say they don’t know what the prices will be.”
* The city’s share of the county’s animal control budget amounts to 34%, but city officials want further details on what is going on with that department, in particular the relatively-new animal shelter. Mayor Rickord said he has heard some complaints about its operation; Dyer and City Attorney Anna Razo said they have as well.
* Talk continues about much-needed changes in the restroom facilities at Riverside Center– which are mostly the same as they were when the structure was built in the mid-1950s. No funds for a renovation are in the 2024 budget, however.
“It would need a total gut,” City Operations Manager Jeremy Gilbert said.
* The city is not in need of one, but an aerial ladder fire truck would cost over $1 million today and it would take as long four years to get one, Fire Chief Jeff Sheets said.
* The popular facade program is going back into the budget after a one-year absence.
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