A proposed raise for city employees was doubled at Monday night s meeting.
An amended resolution establishing 2% cost of living adjustments (COLA) for non-union city employees for Pekin s Fiscal Year 2022 budget passed by a 6-1 vote, with council member Rick Hilst voting against the measure. The initial resolution called for 1.09% COLA for the FY-22 budget. Council member Lloyd Orrick moved to make the amendment, with Mike Garrison seconding.
“I really believe if we were talking about (2.5%) or 3% (COLA), I would vote to lower that,” said Orrick. “With that in mind, I would amend the proposal to make it 2%.”
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the city’s wellness committee to cancel last year’s health fair for full and part-time city employees. But the Pekin City Council’s unanimous approval of an agreement with Empower Health Services, LLC means city employees will have access to biometric screenings.
Pekin Daily Times
When James Cross, the owner of Leaves n Beans Coffee, decided to open a third store, he felt that Pekin offered the right combination of distance from his other two shops and a new local market to tap into.
“I’ve been trying to find somewhere in Pekin for about five years,” Cross said. “We have our store in (Peoria Heights) and one in Morton. We felt that Pekin was far enough away from our current stores that we weren’t cannibalizing ourselves, and, at the same time, it’s a really great, vibrant community that would really support a local small business.”