Champaign Council Set To Consider Budget That Would Boost Police And Fire, Add Library Hours

The City Council in Champaign is expected to vote Tuesday night on a new budget that would boost hours at libraries and increase police and fire spending.

The operating budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 would increase to $85.5 million dollars from the current $85.2 million.

The new budget would fill four of the seven-and-a-half vacant positions in the city’s two libraries. Interim city Finance Director Debra Busey says the main library would add hours.

“They’ll stay open until 9 o’clock instead of 6 p.m. on Thursday nights and they will be able to open at noon on Sundays instead of 1 p.m,” she said.

The Douglass branch also would stay open until 8 p.m. rather than 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Busey said.

The city would also spend more on police overtime, in part to deal with an expected increase in turnover.

“Police will need to hire 14 new officers because of attrition, and in a typical year that’s four to six officers,” Busey said.

The Fire Department also would increase staffing from 27 firefighters on duty at any time to 28.

The budget also would set aside $2 million to deal with fallout from ongoing state-budget issues.

The council meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall.