The City of Galesburg officially approved the creation of a new administrative position, Director of Public Works/ Assistant City Manager, at their meeting Monday. The position would remain the head of the Public Works Department but also assist the city manager on an as-needed basis. City Manager Gerald Smith says current Director of Public Works Wayne Carl would have been elevated into the position but has decided to retire in the Spring of 2023. Smith says that the city feared it would be difficult to attract a candidate with the same level of experience as Carl, so the packaging of duties will "encourage and incentivize highly qualified candidates." The City hopes candidates will be particularly interested in the position if they have a goal of eventually becoming a city manager. Smith also says the new position will aid the City Manager in the "promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives." He hopes to be able to find a candidate that also has exper
Galesburg Council discussed the home rule sales tax increase on Monday that would increase revenue by about $950,000 annually. City Manager Gerald Smith says this is a means to funding infrastructure improvements and a portion of a community center, possibly in the form of issuing bonds and paying off the bonds with the new revenue. Smith says this is not an uncommon strategy for fixing capital infrastructure adding many city roads that have gone years without significant improvements. Right now about $400,000 annually is earmarked for capital projects. Alderman Bradley Hix says he's worried that borrowing or taking out bonds would be too costly because of high-interest rates. Alderwoman Jaclyn Smith-Esters asked if it was possible to reduce the food and beverage tax by .25%. Finance Director Gloria Osborne says that would impact the General Fund by about $200,000, and because public safety is funded out of the general fund, Osborne says she wouldn't recommend that. Mayor Pet