PEORIA, Ill. – Budget talks continue Tuesday night with the Peoria City Council.
If the 2020-2021 budget is approved by Nov. 5, City Manager Patrick Urich said that would be the earliest the budget is adopted in the past few years.
“We’re trying to address the council’s desires,” Urich said.
During the meeting, Urich proposed the price of garbage collection to increase to $21 a month in 2020. Then, the price would increase $1 every year.
Urich said Peoria has a Cadillac service when it comes to garbage collection and disposal.
“You get weekly garbage pickup, you get biweekly recycling pickup, and then you get 37 weeks of yard waste pickup and it’s unlimited,” Urich said.
The increase in the garbage collection fee is due to the city’s contract with the Peoria Disposal Company increases every year.
The council also discussed the idea to move Peoria Fire Station 19 north on War Memorial Drive.
Urich said the purpose is to fill in the gap in northwest Peoria.
“As we’ve seen growth to the north of the Shoppes of Grand Prairie, the response time to that part of the city is longer than the response time that we have heading to the rest of northwest Peoria,” Urich.
If approved with the budget, Station 19 would be located closer to Frostwood Parkway on War Memorial Drive.
Another item on the agenda was amending a current city ordinance regarding the sale of cigarettes.
“What we are proposing is a $100 licence application fee to start the process, and then a $500 annual fee that a tobacco seller would have to obtain,” Urich said.
The increase would generate $45,000 in revenue. Sellers would also be required to have a background check.
Councilman Chuck Grayeb said he could not believe the license cost was ever that low.
The Council also approved an increase in parking tax for monthly parking in city parking decks.
City Manager Patrick Urich said the increase is due to a tax that was passed by the state.
“Right now, that would be imposed on city and municipally owned parking decks,” Urich said.
