Galesburg City Council passed a resolution Monday night shifting half of the $5 million in bonds dedicated in March to a community center instead to various road and infrastructure projects in Galesburg.
The vote was 5-2 with Ward 4 Council member Dwight White and Ward 6’s Sarah Davis opposed.
Proponents of the move cited the need to pay for infrastructure work and roads but champions of a larger community center spoke against the resolution.
‘Spectacular yet affordable’? Community center might split bond funds with roads
Mayor Peter Schwartzman criticized the move because it puts a ‘hard cap” of $2.5 million on the Community Center task force in their work.
Also he says a majority of a sales tax increase passed in December could go a long way toward paying for roads. On Dec. 19, the Galesburg City Council voted 4-3 to increase the home rule sales tax .25% to 1.25%.
Schwartzman says that this decision wasn’t a compromise but a decision made by 5 aldermen “behind our backs.”
7th Ward Alderman Steve Cheesman countered that he let Schwartzman know every bit of this as it was happening.