Dixon City Council irons out budget, settles donations to community organizations

DIXON - The City Council approved its annual budget and reached a consensus on how much to give organizations including the Dixon Municipal Band and The Next Picture Show.

The council has debated how much to donate to the band and art gallery during the last couple of months during its budget season.

The allocation for the band remains at $15,000, which is $10,000 less than the group requested so it could have a full season and provide special performances.

Councilman Chris Bishop previously suggested that the city fund the band with new revenue after the council decided to increase fees for video gambling terminals from $25 to $250 per terminal, which will likely generate around $30,000 to $40,000.

The band has faced cuts from the city during the last several years and is putting more of an emphasis on raising funds to be more self sustainable.

The council also decided to increase its donation to The Next Picture Show from $8,000 to $20,000 to help with expanding offerings.

In February, The Next Picture Show’s new executive director Phillip Atliano presented to the council several goals to increase programming and events, including upping the different workshop classes for adults from two to six and creating a city art festival.

Atliano requested the city donate $35,000 and then $15,000 in subsequent years.

Other plans include giving the Dixon Historic Theatre $200,000, with $100,000 going toward events and the other $100,000 toward a potential local match for a grant it is pursuing.

The council also discussed earmarking $75,000 for Christmas decorations, most of which would go toward installing a 30-foot tree in Page Park.

The city received $2.2 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding through the American Rescue Plan Act and decided to use the funds for police and fire salaries, which is an acceptable use for ARPA funds. In turn, the city took funds that would have gone to salaries and put them in a COVID Relief Fund, allowing them to go toward different projects without having to go through the ARPA reporting process.

About $500,000 was dedicated as a community development fund, so a majority of the council can choose to increase funding for organizations like the band or other projects.

City Manager Danny Langloss said as the city is expecting two new hotels to be built in the near future, that will increase the city’s share of hotel/motel taxes, which could be used as revenue for the community development fund.

The city’s new fiscal year begins May 1.