DeKALB – An early look at the city of DeKalb’s proposed $46.5 spending budget includes funds prioritized for future first responders, amid asks by police and fire officials to get more boots on the ground and consideration of a fourth fire station.

The $46,504,834 million proposed general fund spending for fiscal 2024 shows that one of the biggest drivers of expenditures is personnel expenses including police, fire and public works departments, according to city documents. Discussion at a recent meeting centered largely on projections regarding the city’s general fund spending. The DeKalb City Council has not yet voted on a budget, which is expected to go before the public for a hearing Nov. 27. A final vote is expected by Dec. 11.

Under the proposed spending plan are 12 new hires, including nine firefighters and three more police officers, documents show.

Fire Chief Mike Thomas lauded the city’s proposed spending plan, saying it will support the fire department’s needs.

“The spending that’s been presented to City Council by our city manager is what I think is the best method for this plan and that I support what City Manager Bill Nicklas put forth to City Council,” Thomas said.

While the City Council hasn’t yet given its final go-ahead for a fourth fire station, Thomas has argued its needed to accommodate a growing labor load of 911 calls on the city’s southwest side. A fourth fire station would cost about $3.8 million, city staff have said. The city plans to pay for architectural costs using funds from the Ground Emergency Medical Transport Program. The fourth fire station, if approved, would be move-in ready by early spring 2025 should all go according to plan, according to city documents.

Nicklas said the last of federal American Rescue Plan Act and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant monies made available to the city in 2020 and 2021 are expected to be spent in the next fiscal year.

Nicklas said the city has looked long and hard at its options.

The city is finding that response times from all stations are growing as a result of simultaneous calls for service, officials said. In 2022, the fire department reported 2,744 overlapping calls for service out of 7,437 in total, according to city documents.

Mayor Cohen Barnes championed the cause behind a recent tax summit joining representatives of area taxing bodies in an effort to drive down property taxes for taxpayers.

“Doing that is going to most likely drive more economic development, which is going to drive more property tax revenue, which going to increase everyone’s budget,” Barnes said. “It seems like a no-brainer, but we’ll see come October if everyone’s on board.”

For 2023 budgets, only three area taxing bodies lowered their property tax rates, officials said. Those included the city of DeKalb, DeKalb School District 428 and the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District. Since he took office, Barnes has argued that significant development on the city’s south side has brought in enough property tax revenue that DeKalb area taxing bodies should use that as an opportunity to ease the burden on local taxpayers.

Sixth Ward Alderman Mike Verbic and 7th Ward Alderman John Walker both questioned if lowering the property tax rate will result in lower property taxes having to be paid by taxpayers.

Nicklas replied, saying the property tax rate is an element of that calculation, but inflation doesn’t help matters.

Nicklas maintains that the city is in a favorable position financial speaking considering all the new development.

“It’s good to have this problem,” Nicklas said. “We’ve never in the history of DeKalb had this problem. The last time private investment drove a bump like this was when the railroad hit here relatively speaking in the 1860s. … Even the expansion of NIU, which brought lots of money, lots of investment, but it doesn’t pay taxes. … [It’s a] lot of good construction value and the rest. It’s a lot of incomes, labors and trades of sorts, but it’s still different.”