The filing period for next April’s consolidated election ended this past Monday. And already, signs of disagreement that will lead up to the April 1st election are showing. During the “Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget” portion of Tuesday night’s (Nov 19th) Danville City Council meeting, former Director of Public Works and current 7th Ward City Council candidate Doug Ahrens brought up a couple concerns. One was about a $2 million fund transfer, which is very similar to the $2 million in enterprise funding projected from the Golden Nugget Casino. Ahrens says, putting that entire picture together, you have money being used incorrectly; essentially ending up helping with pension payments.
AUDIO: The casino revenues are receded into the general fund instead of their own fund. And then that very same amount, or actually about that amount, is then transferred towards the tax levy to do that. And the mayor has indicated that helps reduce property taxes. But if you put a direct reduction on the property taxes, it would reduce our property taxes up to 40 percent.
Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr; reads that financial map differently.
AUDIO: Sixty percent of our casino revenue is going towards paying pensions. And if Director Ahrens’ recommendation is that we not do so, then I would challenge him, if he’s willing to pay more in property taxes. He complains regularly about how high property taxes are. If we don’t spend 60 percent of the casino revenue towards property taxes, then we’re going to have to raise property taxes. I am unwilling to do that.
Two of the financial issues mentioned at Tuesday evening’s Danville City Council meeting by 7th Ward candidate Doug Ahrens concerned money issues involving Golden Nugget Casino and the Garfield Park Pool.
Ahrens also mentioned money being moved over from the general fund to the fund for the new Garfield Park Pool.
AUDIO: Based on the financial documents that have been presented this year in the budget, there’s a $280,000 transfer, from the general fund, into the pool budget, that is being treated as an enterprise fund. The $280,000 is probably 90% of the pool budget. That’s not what citizens were told.
Mayor Williams says the first year with the pool was indeed a challenge, and that people were forewarned about that. But he also says; yes, there will be expenses concerning the Garfield Park Pool in each and every budget from here on. And he believes it will always be a worthwhile investment. Williams says talk to the Veterans from the V.A.; and the children, families, and senior citizens; who all enjoyed the first year of the pool. Simply put, the city expected major first year costs.
AUDIO: What we told people was it would likely be up to $300,000. And so, essentially, you would be paying $10 a person a year to have a pool. I think it’s worth it. That a town as small as Hoopeston would have a swimming pool, but a city like Danville would not? It’s a quality of life issue that I think is worth the investment in the long term.
Ahrens is running for City Council in Ward 7 against Barry R. Johnson, with incumbent Darren York not running for reelection. Next Tuesday’s council committee meeting, on November 26th, will likely include discussion of whether the city should adopt a 1% grocery tax once the state is no longer collecting it at the start of 2026. The new City of Danville Budget and Tax Levy will likely be voted on during the December 3rd City Council meeting. Danville’s new fiscal year begins on May 1st of 2025.
