After about a 15 minute “closed session” at the end of Wednesday (Nov 4) evening’s Danville City Council meeting, the Council voted 12 to 1 to approve a new four year collective bargaining deal with Danville Firefighters Local 429. Alderman Tom Hightower was not present; and Alderman Doug Ahrens voted “no,” after expressing concern about rising personnel costs during earlier discussion on the city’s proposed new budget.
This four year contract is retroactive back to May 1, 2025; and had previously been passed by union membership in December of ’25, but voted down by the City Council in March of this year. But with both parties now having approved an updated agreement; Local 429’s President Easton Hoskins and Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr both said they were glad to have it done; leading off with Hoskins reminding us how the annual raise percentages will go during the course of this contract.
AUDIO: (Hoskins) Just a lot of details, a lot of language clean-up things that just take time. It’s a fair contact for both parties. It’s definitely not egregeous either way. Three-and-a-half, three-and-a-quarter, three-and-a-half, three-and-a-quarter.
AUDIO: (Williams) We finally have an agreement that I believe is fair to most importantly the citizens and taxpayers of this community, but also to the firefighters and the city of Danville. It helps us to retain and recall back some of our management rights, while also making sure that they’re compensated appropriately.
Danville Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk explains all four parts of the “Danville Home Grown Initiative” to Mayor Williams and the City Council.
Meanwhile, Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk unveiled the proposed four part “Danville Home Grown Initiative.” The idea is to provide top places to live in Danville for current and future professionals working there. The program’s four separate incentives are called Relocation, Home Rehabilitation, New Construction Housing, and Economic Development.
Cronk explained that there are various financial incentives and qualifications for all four parts. He says if this program is passed before the new budget takes effect, adjustments in both the current and future budgets could help get it going.
AUDIO: We would likely come with a budget amendment to this current fiscal year as well; a proposition for that, so we can go off to the races as soon as we’re ready with applications, marketing materials, legal documents, etc. That will take time to assemble, but the intent is to start it as soon as we possibly can in this current fiscal year.
Mayor Williams says, the timing for this pilot program is just right.
AUDIO: For the longest time we have needed better housing in our community. And I think that this helps us keep people in their own homes, first and foremost; but then it also allows an opportunity for new structures to be built, so that people can compete and have quality housing.
Danville’s new fiscal year will begin next May 1st.
