City of Quincy to begin hearings on nearly $55 million budget for FY 2026

QUINCY — Comptroller Sheri Ray told the Quincy City Council Monday night that a projected $54.8 million budget for fiscal year 2026 will only have about $51 million in revenue to go with it.

But she added that about $4 million in recurring revenues and transfers would cover expenditures.

Ray said 50 percent of the Home Rule Sales tax (approximately $6 million) would be used in the capital projects fund, funding pensions at 104 percent of the actuarial recommendation, and subsidizing curbside brush collection and city garbage pickup.

The proposed budget for salary and benefits is $33 million, up 7 percent from last year, and the city will add an additional nine employees. The budget shows a total of 319 positions due to various changes throughout the year. Transit converted six part-time relief drivers to full-time relief drivers, adding four positions, along with significant additions in the IT department, comptroller’s office, and planning and development.

Salary and benefits increases are mainly due to contractual adjustments, with employees represented by the Machinists Union receiving a 5 percent increase and fire and police receiving 4.5 percent increases.

Elected officials will see a 19 percent increase, and non-union positions are planned for a 5 percent increase, comparable to the machinists’ raise.

Health insurance premiums are experiencing a decrease, providing an $85,000 savings to the general fund.

Quincy Fire Department will also receive improvements to Central Fire Station, including new doors and other building repairs. Two new fire engines are also expected to arrive later this year.

City Engineer Steve Bange also gave a report on what infrastructure upgrades are included in the new budget.

Bange listed off the following scheduled street projects:

• $3.5 million for College, 4th to 8th.
• $4.2 million for Cherry, 24th to 28th.
• $3.9 million for Jackson, 5th to 8th.

The city’s seven wards will also receive $5.58 million, just $800,000 per ward, for projects the aldermen can specifically request.

Aldermen also approved:

• Purchasing three extended warranties from Gem City Ford, for $3,825.00 per car, for a total amount of $11,475.00 for three recently purchased Ford police utility vehicles.
• To pay expenses for two recruits’ attendance at the Spring 2025 Basic Operations Firefighter Academy in the amounts of $12,400.00 and the associated lodging and meal expenses are estimated to be $13,664.00.
• The low bid from Benntag Mid-South of St. Louis for the purchase of one truck load, approximately twenty tons of monosodium phosphate at the cost of $2,920.00 per ton, for the treatment of drinking water.
• The low bid from Benntag Mid-South of St. Louis, for the purchase of 12 tons of granular sodium fluoride at the cost of $3,425.00 per ton, used for the treatment of drinking water.
• A contract with Klingner and Associates for an amount not exceeding $112,370.00 for construction inspection and documentation of the South 18th Street road improvement project.
• The low bid in the amount of $1,111,601.00 from Hood Construction of Rushville for the Prairie Crossing Pavement & North 36th Street Sidewalk Project which includes PCC patching the City-owned streets in the Prairie Crossing Shopping Center and installing sidewalk along the west side of North 36th Street north of Columbus Road.
• A proposal from 3B Property Maintenance LLC, Quincy, in the amount of $22,120.00, for lawn maintenance services at nineteen (19) locations of City-owned properties and rights-of-way throughout the City of Quincy.
• Fix Or Flatten demolitions with the Low bid from H & D Construction, Mendon, IL in the amount of $53,000 for 318 Milliners Alley, 535 N. 8th, and 337-339 S. 7th.