VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– Vincennes City Council held their first hearing on the upcoming budget on Monday, establishing plans to give city employees raises and set aside money for possible upcoming projects for the city’s parks.
Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum said full-time employees will receive $2,000 raises.
“I know that’s still not enough, but the plan is in future years to keep trying to give a bigger raise than normal, so we can get our salaries up to be more competitive with other communities,” he said.
The city’s parks and recreation superintendent Chris Moore said he was looking forward to completing a number of projects, like improving the Rainbow Beach Aquatic Center and renovations for the skate park, located at Lester Square.
“Our parks system is great, but it’s old,” he said. “So a lot of our equipment is a bit older.”
He said upgrading old equipment was the main purpose for both projects. The bigger one was the skate park, which he said will have a six figure price tag.
” I actually have a meeting to get some construction drawings drawn up here in October,” Moore said, “It’s going to be well over $350,000.”
Yochum said he believes it will be money well spent.
“You can’t put enough money in for our parks. That’s an amenity that everybody enjoys,” he said.
Yochum said he hopes to hold a budget workshop for the public, sometime in the next few weeks, along with the city’s financial advisors. The budget will be finalized in the coming months.
