More gambling, end of tax loophole, police contract, and CO2 leak among topics of next council meeting
Changes to the city’s ordinance pertaining to video gambling, elimination of Decatur’s utility tax loophole, approval of a contract with the city’s police union, and learning more about the city’s response to ADM Co.’s CO2 leak are among the highlights of the next Decatur City Council meeting.
MORE GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS COMING TO DECATUR?
The Decatur City Council will be voting on several changes to rules pertaining to video gambling licenses. Among the changes include allowing gambling licenses to transfer when the owners of the business change, requiring first time applicants of gambling licenses to enter into a development agreement with the city, and requiring restaurants that want a gambling license to have at least 60% of their revenue (up from 50%) be derived from serving meals.
Decatur has a gambling problem. From September 2023-August 2024, the city had 91 gambling establishments, 531 gambling machines, and citizens lost $47 million. Decatur, one of the poorest cities in Illinois with a median household income <$50,000, a poverty rate of 20%, and a childhood poverty rate of ~30%, has an annual per capita gambling loss of $684.
Residents have spoken loudly and clearly. They want fewer gambling establishments and the changes made could result in more, not less establishments. Furthermore, a license is a privilege, not a right. As such licenses should not automatically be transferred from one owner to the next. By allowing the transfer of gambling licenses when ownership changes, combined with allowing new businesses that want gambling a mechanism to do so, it is possible that the number of gambling businesses in Decatur will rise in the coming months.
UTILITY TAX LOOPHOLE MAY CLOSE
In Decatur, entities that purchase natural gas from a supplier other than Ameren do not have to pay the city’s utility tax. This loophole was established as part of state legislation but is proposed to be changed at the council meeting such that all entities, regardless of their natural gas supplier, are charged $0.0437 per therm with the exception of users that consume more than 40 million therms annually, which would be charged $0.0275 per therm. The natural gas utility tax currently applies to 35,000-40,000 commercial and residential accounts. There are approximately 450 utility accounts representing 200 separate users that would be affected by the change.
Closing the loophole with an equivalent tax rate for almost all users (as is the case with electricity) will likely have no impact on residents and it would create tax equity among all natural gas users. Closing the loophole now will also allow the city to continue funding its community revitalization initiatives.
While I support closing the loophole, I am concerned that the largest users of natural gas will pay a lower tax rate than our residents. In an era of global warming, the greatest consumers of fossil fuels should pay the most for their use. Global warming due to burning fossil fuels has created significant environmental problems, and a reduced tax rate could incentivize entities to continue using energy sources that have negatively impacted the global climate.
One understated and unexpected weather event that took place in March 2024 was a hailstorm that hit Decatur. The highly destructive storm likely resulted in tens of millions in damages. As just one measure of the damage, between April – August 2024, the city issued 1,704 roof permits with an estimated value of $29,985,407. By comparison, between April – August 2023, the city issued 243 roof permits with an estimated value of $5,087,918.
As it pertains to neighborhood revitalization, while the city does have a roof replacement program for its urban core residents, the need for funding is far greater than the funds available. At its February 6, 2023 meeting, the city council accepted a $400,000 grant for roof replacements that included a $400,000 match from the city. The $800,000 was a good start in assisting residents, but not enough to meet our needs. In fact, 220 residents had requested roof replacements. Using an estimate of $10,000 per roof, $2.2 million was needed to replace roofs prior to the 2024 hailstorm and the need has likely increased since.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH POLICE UNION
The Decatur City Council is highly likely to approve a 4-year agreement with the Decatur Police Benevolent and Protective Association Labor Committee (i.e., Decatur’s police officer union). The agreement expands the residency requirement to 50 miles and includes wage increases of 7% in 2025, and 3% each in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
Many types of crime have been reduced considerably in past years. The number of shootings in Decatur has dropped 56% since its recent peak in 2021. Between January-September 2021 there were 153 shootings compared to 68 shootings over the same period in 2024. Furthermore, many aspects of road safety are improving. From January to August 2021, there were 1,676 traffic accidents, while for the same period in 2024, the number of traffic accidents was 1,515 (10% decrease).
I want to thank the men and women of the Decatur Police Department for all that you do each and every day. Our police officers risk their lives to keep us safe and no words can fully describe our gratitude and appreciation for your heroic actions. Thank you for your tremendous efforts and keep up the great work.
CO2 LEAK AT ADM’S CARBON SEQUESTRATION FACILITY
It has been three weeks since the Decatur City Council met and first discussed the CO2 leak at ADM Co.’s carbon sequestration facility. Decatur residents will have the opportunity to express their views during the public comment period that takes place near the beginning of each city council meeting. In addition, during the last part of the meeting, during “Other Business” city staff will be able to address questions that went unanswered at the September 16 meeting.
Among the unanswered questions are: was the city notified of the leak prior to USEPA action in August, and if so when (the leak occurred in March prior to the former city manager signing the easement)? Could the corrosion of a well take place closer to the surface thereby posing a health threat to the public? Does the amount of sequestration activity influence the rate of well corrosion? Has the Decatur Fire Department trained for a CO2 leak, and do they have the appropriate apparatus and equipment?
OTHER ISSUES
The meeting will also include likely approval of an agreement between Primient and the city that allows the company’s employees to ride city transportation for free, and the company would pay the city for the rides employees take. Given that one of the largest barriers to entering the workforce is access to transportation, this agreement is commendable, and hopefully, this model will be replicated with other entities in the city. In addition, the city will be purchasing three, electric SUVs, perhaps the first smaller EV vehicles in the city’s history. Optimistically, there will also be some public EV charging stations on the way to city property soon.
PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS AT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING
The next city council meeting will take place on Monday, October 7 at 5:30 PM in the council chambers located on the third floor of the Decatur Civic Center (1 Gary K. Anderson Place). Free parking is available in the lot immediately south of the entrance. Citizens are encouraged to attend meetings and express their views. Citizens are allotted 3 minutes per person near the beginning of each city council meeting. In addition, citizens can provide comments regarding one regular agenda item per meeting for up to three minutes provided they notify the city in advance (and prior to the start of the meeting). You can request to speak on a particular agenda item at a council meeting by filling out an on-line form at: https://www.decaturil.gov/FormCenter/Mayor-Council-11/Advance-Request-to-Speak-at-Council-Meet-60.
AGENDAS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE
An agenda and information about each agenda item for each city council meeting can be found at: https://www.decaturil.gov/mayor-and-council/council-meetings/.
CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
If you would like to discuss city issues with a council member, phone numbers and email addresses for each council member can be found at the following link: https://www.decaturil.gov/300/Mayor-Council.