The City of East Peoria is looking at possible options to help balance its books in the long-term. The move comes amid looming state budget cuts:
The City needs to tackle inadequate road-funding, sewer plant upgrades and a need for new garbage and recycling trucks. That’s according to City Commissioner Dan Decker, who says East Peoria’s spending list might get hazy if the state cuts local tax revenue this year. To that end, Decker says he could support exploring a quarter-cent sales tax increase that could inject more than $1 million into city coffers:
“And it would secure the property owners and the residents of East Peoria to not have to worry about their city property taxes, corporate taxes to increase.”
The City’s also considering possibly offering early retirement to select employees, and notifying public access TV Channel-22 that it could reduce some funding next year to help cut costs.