Fairbury Mayor David Slagel has observed residents supporting local businesses during these challenging times.
Slagel told members of the Fairbury Rotary Club Tuesday that Fairbury has a strong business base. He noted Motor Fuel Tax money was down for several months due to COVID-19 but the funds are going back up. Slagel is surprised at the amount of money that gets gambled in town through video gaming at various establishments.
The city typically gets around $3,000 a month while the state gets a chunk of money along with the businesses involved.
“Some of these businesses are making really good money on these machines,” Slagel said.
According to Slagel, sales tax revenue is actually up.
In order to help restaurants with outdoor dining, the chamber and city got volunteers together to make picnic tables at Marsh Park which the city distributed.
“When this is all over, we are going to donate tables to churches or the race track.”
Slagel also updated the group on the sewer project which is moving along well and ahead of schedule.
“They’re hoping to have the bulk of the actual plant done by the end of the year,” Slagel explained.
Vissering has been a good contractor to work with and sewer plant manager Brad Duncan has been helpful through the entire project, in the mayor’s opinion. Also, the wind turbine at the sewer plant is gone and Slagel said it never produced power like it should have. A company was willing to take it down and decommission it.
There was a question-and-answer session between Rotarians and the mayor pertaining to seized vehicles parked at the water plant, recent police hires and competitive pay. Someone asked if the city has more drug crimes due to changing marijuana laws. Slagel doesn’t believe so, as those illegally doing drugs before are still doing illegal drugs now.
“It really hasn’t seemed to change a lot according to the police,” Slagel noted.
The city always has things in the works but nothing major on the horizon currently.
