Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. says he thinks local citizens are doing a good job of obeying the stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic…
{‘’Our cell phone tracking shows that for the most-part I think over 80-percent of people are staying within two miles of their home. That means they’re literally just going to work, going to get food and coming home – that’s going to get food or medicine. So I’m proud of, and I’m very thankful for all the citizens of Danville, Vermilion County, and greater Illiana for taking this seriously. And I think that is reflected in the lower number of cases that we have,’’ said the mayor.}
The Mayor talked about a number of issues on WDAN Radio’s Newsmakers program today (Thursday, April 30, 2020). He noted the City of Danville’s new fiscal year is beginning (May 1st), and that Danville ended the last fiscal year with $1.5 million dollars in reserves. This time, Mayor Williams says even with the recession – the city is ending the 2019-2020 fiscal year with a $4-million dollar surplus….
{‘’That’s what happens when you eliminate unnecessary middle-management positions that were expensive and costing us a lot in benefits. What happens when your department heads and your staff are strong stewards and aren’t buying unnecessary things – and refuse to spend money – or are not allowed to spend money on pet projects. So this goes a long way and it makes things safe for us at this time,’’ added the Danville Mayor on the program.}
Mayor Williams cautioned the city expects some challenges ahead – such as a lower amount of sales tax revenue because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But he adds he believes the city is in a much better position to address it.
