Council approves spending some surplus funds

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council voted to amend a supplemental ordinance Monday night that will allow the allocation of additional funds to cover contributions tied to aircraft rescue and fire fighting, plus post employment benefits connected with retired city workers and money for the Quincy Public Library.

Those funds, totaling a little more than $607,000, are part of a $9.5 million budget excess package that is also being used for a variety of city needs, ranging from infrastructure improvements to replacing four police cars to a City Hall renovation that could cost $3 million.

“The money for the fire and police pensions and the library was mandated,” said Jeff Mays, director of administrative services. “The money for the ARFF (aircraft rescue and fire fighting) and OPEB (other post-employment benefits for city workers) was adopted by council.”

The mandated funds for the fire and police pensions, plus the library, totals about $200,000.

Since the January PPRT (Personal Property Replacement Taxes) “came in much higher than our projections, we needed to amend the supplemental ordinance amounts to allow for PPRT pass-through to the pension funds and the library,” according to comptroller Sheri Ray. “We are estimating PPRT to be an additional $2.2 million above the current budget.”

In other action:

• No progress was reported in the search to find a replacement for retiring Police Chief Rob Copley. Copley is set to retire May 6.
• Aldermen Greg Fletcher, Parker Freiburg and Jack Holtschlag, plus Jeff Mays, Linda Moore and John Johannes were appointed by Mayor Mike Troup to the Small Rental Rehabilitation Program.