Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
The Elgin City Council recently made a decision that has sparked some debate: they agreed to double the city’s hotel tax and maintain a plan to reduce the number of firefighters per shift, from 34 to 32.
The original budget proposal aimed to increase the hotel tax from 4% to 6%, which would have added approximately $1.39 to the average hotel room rate. It also included cutting city funding for the Elgin Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. However, after discussions, the city manager suggested raising the tax by 8% instead, which would add nearly $3 per night per room and generate an extra $240,000 in revenue.
Elgin has supported the Elgin Area Convention and Visitors Bureau since the 1980s, using funds from a hotel/motel tax and a matching state grant. In 2017, the bureau received about $212,500 from the city's tax. The proposed budget also aims to save $700,000 in fire department overtime by reducing two firefighter positions per shift, from 34 to 32. According to the budget document, this change would not require layoffs but would involve reorganizing how the remaining firefighters are deployed.
This adjustment would decrease the number of shift positions at Station 1 and Station 2, affecting the operation of a jump company. The new staffing model is expected to improve the availability of ambulances for EMS calls, which make up the majority of fire department activities, as stated in the document.
Council member Rich Dunne, a former firefighter, expressed concerns that the reduction could harm the city’s Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating and potentially slow down emergency response times. He warned that the move might compromise public and firefighter safety, especially given that the department has already lost 12 positions over the past decade while handling more responsibilities with fewer staff.
To cover the $700,000 savings gap, Dunne proposed several alternatives, such as billing businesses for fire alarm services, leasing equipment instead of buying it, and exploring a proposal from the Elgin Association of Firefighters IAFF Local 439 to allow firefighters to obtain health insurance through the Illinois Firefighters Association. He argued these measures could fully offset the budget shortfall.
Despite these suggestions, the council rejected Dunne’s proposals during the 2018 budget vote, with a final decision of 7-2. The mayor also voiced concerns about the continued use of overtime to fill fire department shifts, a policy that has been in place for 15 years with the goal of reducing long-term costs associated with hiring more full-time staff.
Public input on the proposed $259 million 2018 budget and the 2018–2020 financial plan will be accepted at a meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday at City Hall. Final approval is expected on December 20. The full budget document is available online at www.cityofelgin.org/budget.
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