City begins review of 2025-26 budget; proposed police budget is $16.99 million, fire budget is $14.67 million

QUINCY — Aldermen spent 90 minutes before Monday night’s City Council meeting listening to the start of the review of the city budget for 2025-26.

Comptroller Sheri Ray said the $54.89 million budget for the general fund is down 6.89 percent from last year’s budget because the city gave extra money last year for capital projects. Revenues are projected to come in $50.73 million. Ray also said the city has a $6 million fund balance.

Chief Adam Yates presented a $16.99 million budget for the Quincy Police Department — an increase of 4.39 percent from last year. His budget calls for a 4.5 percent increase in salaries for officers and a 5 percent increase for the civilian staff. Yates said he hopes to add a second canine unit, three new squad cars, new laptops for squad cars and to re-approve the Flock license plate reader camera contract.

Chief Steve Salrin presented a $14.67 million budget for the Quincy Fire Department — an increase of 4.89 percent from last year. His budget calls for a $780,000 increase in salaries and benefits. It includes an $80,000 estimate for door replacements at Central Station and exterior building repairs at Fire Station 3 to accommodate new and larger engines to be housed there.

The budget review will continue next Monday with special revenue, capital projects and debt service funds.

Aldermen voted to approve Mayor Mike Troup’s appointment of Karol Ehmen to the City Council on Monday night. After City Clerk Laura Oakman swore her in, Ehmen then took a seat next to fellow 4^th Ward alderman Tony Sassen.

“It was good. It’s certainly a process,” Ehmen said of her first night as an alderman, which started as a spectator in City Council chambers reviewing the proposed city budget before sitting through a nearly two-hour meeting.

“It’s important to make sure that you come fully aware of what’s going on so that you can make those good decisions. I greatly appreciated the background that was provided for me prior to the meeting. The mayor did an excellent job of that. So, yeah, we’re off and rolling.”

In other action, aldermen: 

• Recognized employment anniversaries of Keith Vahlkamp, who had worked for 30 years in Central Services, and Ray, who celebrated her 25-year anniversary with the city.
• Approved a revocable permit for the encroachment of city right-of-way from the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, which requested permission to place parade-related signs on city right-of-way along Maine between Sixth and 36th Streets in conjunction with the annual Dogwood Parade. The signs will be placed the week of April 14 and removed following the parade on May 3.
• Approved a revocable permit for the encroachment of city right-of-way from the Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which requested permission to display banners across Fifth and Maineat various times between May 6 and Nov. 25 for various events. 
• Heard a resolution proclaiming National Library Week at the Quincy Public Library during the week of April 6-12.
• Authorizing a lease agreement to Adam Oliver for office space on the first floor of the Washington Theater for one year with a rental rate of $1,000 per month. Oliver plans to open a music store.
• Approved an invoice for $116,130.89 from Rees Construction Co. for emergency repairs to the South Quincy Lift Station.
• Approved low bids for the purchase of various water treatment chemicals for the treatment of drinking water — $8,025.06 to buy three chlorine injectors from Sidener Environmental Services of St. Louis; $8,797.50 from Carus of Peru, Ill., for 7,650 pounds of sodium permanganate; $7,767.97 from Sidener Environmental Services of St. Louis for annual on-site servicing of the water treatment plant chlorinators and the purchase of spare parts; $20,186 from Hach Company of Chicago for the annual maintenance, calibration, and certification of water treatment equipment; and $8,740 from Midwest Meter, Inc. of Edinburg for the purchase of 100 copperhorns.
• Executed grant agreements with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the comptroller to release the city matches and pass-through funding in amounts not exceeding $23,625 and $2,550 to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
• Approved through the city’s fix or flatten program to demolishing, repairing, enclosure or remediation of the following properties: 412 S. Seventh, 931 Chestnut, 318 Locust, 624 College Avenue, 2612 Turner Road, 823 Jersey, 600 Madison, 304-306 Cherry, 517 Chestnut, 530 N. Sixth, 317 Maple, 219 Chestnut and 1133 N. Fifth.
• Repealed a section of city ordinance that required at least 50 percent of all of a contractor’s employees working on any construction project involving the use of city funds be residents of the county.
• Approved an ordinance establishing the authority of the city to place and enforce temporary signs, detours and other traffic control measures during construction, road repairs and other necessary infrastructure projects.
• Approved an ordinance to replace a yield sign at the intersection of Sixth and Maple with stop signs, with traffic on Maple stopping for traffic on Sixth.