PEKIN, Ill. – The approval of the next budget for the city of Pekin will have to wait a little bit longer.
The around $53 million spending plan for fiscal year 25-26, which goes into effect on May 1st, was not approved at Monday night’s meeting by a 3-3 vote. Councilmen Rick Hilst, Dave Nutter, and Lloyd Orrick were the no votes.
In documents prepared before the meeting, the city estimated a deficit of $140,443 in the general fund. The original budget forecasted a deficit of nearly $5 million in the general fund.
City leaders say the deficit was reduced by eliminating several staffing requests, canceling, reducing, or deferring capital requests, and seeking other sources of revenue. The city may also look into further reductions, including “headcount.”
Hilst raised concerns about where some of the city’s spending priorities lie, in regards to street maintenance. He pointed out Derby Street in particular.
“So we’re continuing to pay for the engineering design work on Derby Street, but any extra money that we could possibly have to put towards finishing the actual construction of that, as I said earlier, right, wrong, or indifferent, it’s being shifted to other areas of town,” Hilst said.
Mayor Mary Burress stated at the meeting that Derby Street was not being ignored, and the city’s engineers had put in grant money for the projects. The city had also received money to finish Broadway Street.
Hilst also raised concerns over the possibility of a loan being used to complete the $14 million purchase of the Lutticken Farm property.
The city council is scheduled to meet again in a special session on April 21st.
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