After a motion to delay the vote until February failed, a new $66.8 million dollar Danville budget, when fund transfers are figured in, was passed Tuesday night by the City Council 10-3.
YES VOTES ON BUDGET: Robert Williams, Darren York, Carolyn Wands, Michael Puhr, Mike O’Kane, James Poshard, Eve Ludwig, Rick Strebing, Bob Iverson (had voted yes on motion to delay vote to February), Sherry Pickering (had voted yes on motion to delay vote to February
NO VOTES ON BUDGET: Tricia Teague, Ed Butler, Jon Cooper (had made motion to delay vote until February for more salary study)
ABSENT: Heidi Wilson
Recent salary adjustments due to an outside firm’s comparison of city salaries with other municipal salaries around the state continued to bring about concern that the budget was being rushed. Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr was adamant that with the new fiscal year not beginning until May 1st, adjustments can be made through April 30th. But he didn’t want to see departments held hostage.
AUDIO: Department and division heads need to know what kind of finances they’re working with, so they can determine which projects we go forward with, and when, in the next year.
Vice-Mayor Tricia Teague is concerned that efforts to improve the salaries might hurt those with seniority.
AUDIO: And I don’t think it’s equitable to pay employees that have been here for multiple years; maybe 15, 10, 19; at the same level of employees that got here maybe a year ago.
Mayor Williams says, in his eyes, that’s been addressed.
AUDIO: Anyone who has worked here 30 years or more will be receiving $10,000 above, annually, what the salary study recommended their wage be. And those who have been here between 20 and 30 years will be receiving $5,000 additionally, annually.
Alderman Ed Butler expressed strong opinions that Danville should simply not let other cannabis dispensaries in no matter what the benefits. Vice-Mayor Tricia Teague was in favor of delaying the vote on the budget for more “qualitative data” rather than just “quantitative data.”
As for the proposed change in cannabis dispensary zoning laws that would allow for dispensaries to be in B-2 and B-3 zoning areas as well as just along the Lynch Road Corridor; that vote, despite a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission, went 7 to 6 against it.
YES VOTES ON ZONING CHANGE: Bob Iverson, Michael Puhr, Rick Strebing, Tricia Teague, Darren York, Jon Cooper
NO VOTES ON ZONING CHANGE: Carolyn Wands, James Poshard, Mike O’Kane, Sherry Pickering, Eve Ludwig, Robert Williams, Ed Butler
ABSENT: Heidi Wilson
For Alderman Ed Butler, it did not matter one bit if Danville would receive additional tax money from more dispensaries, or if dispensaries go nearby like Parkway went to Tilton. To Butler, it was a matter of Danville saying NO, and making a statement.
AUDIO: It’s not always all about money. I just don’t want my city of Danville to be a part of a drug ring. You know, to have all these drugs coming into Danville. We have enough problems as it is.
Vice-Mayor Teague countered that that state is allowing licenses in this area. And since Danville has been allowing them along the Lynch Road corridor, the whole picture is a little confusing.
AUDIO: The state has already said what’s allowed around here. So the only way that we would be able to change that is to undo what we’ve already done is to do what other cities have done and ban it altogether. We didn’t do that.
Mayor Williams since the last two applicants for the Lynch Road corridor were rejected, one by the Council and one by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the best bet know is to communicate with the commission, as he thinks expanding it on Lynch Road has more support now among aldermen; and therefore could among commission members.
AUDIO: I think that they were kind of taking the cue off of us. And my hope is that they see now that the vast majority of the aldermen would support additional facilities out on Lynch Road; that they would actually support it as well.
So far on the Lynch Road corridor; Sunnyside is in operation, and Seven Point of Illinois is building their dispensary.
