Decatur City Council approves over $71 million city budget
Decatur’s CFO says there are a bunch of projects in the works, the city is financially prepared to make a big splash, and he thinks next year will be even bigger.
DECATUR, Ala. (WAFF) - The Decatur City Council approved its budget Monday for 2022. It passed on a vote of four to one and is over $71 million.
The upcoming budget is about $7 million more than the 2021 budget, something Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling says he’s thankful for during a pandemic year, and he says he’s also thankful for the financial position the city is in as a whole.
Some of the main things the 2022 budget includes is a 2.5% cost of living raise for city employees, which Decatur Chief Financial Officer Kyle Demeester says is really important for keeping good employees with all the employment opportunities in the Decatur area. There’s also going to be higher and additional pay for Decatur Police Officers, as well as annual bonuses for paramedics in the city.
Demeester was instrumental in crafting this budget in his first year as Decatur CFO, and he says it really sets the city up for potential growth. Demeester also says there are a bunch of other projects in the works, the city is financially prepared to make a big splash, and he thinks next year will be even bigger.
“Hopefully people appreciate the ins and outs of it. There’s a lot that goes on to make the city go, and it’s not just me, it’s my whole finance department, it’s every department in the city that has a piece in this budget. It’s a big project and I’m happy that we got it approved and we’re at the finish line,” said Demeester.
There was a work session following the special called meeting where the budget was approved. Some of the big things in discussion were Downtown Decatur’s new hotel, and a 240 space parking garage to go along with it. Also, talks of a new River Bridge for the city. WAFF will let you know what comes next with those projects moving forward.
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