Council approves Jo Daviess County Transit agreement for 2025 downtown shuttle after debate over tourism funding

The Galena City Council voted to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Jo Daviess County Transit for the 2025 downtown shuttle (agenda item 25C-0095) after debating whether Visit Galena (tourism) or six local hotels should bear a larger share of operating costs.

Council member Katie (recorded as the motion maker on the denial) led a motion to deny the agreement citing a preference that Visit Galena and lodging-related tax revenue cover a greater portion of the shuttle cost. Speakers during discussion noted the city had historically contributed a portion of transit costs to reduce downtown parking pressure and that the shuttle provides service from hotels and parking lots into downtown on high-demand days.

Council debated timing and fairness: some members urged preserving the shuttle for this season and negotiating larger tourism contributions before next year, while others supported asking Visit Galena for a larger share going forward. After an initial motion to deny failed, the council later voted to approve the intergovernmental agreement with Jo Daviess County Transit and put a note on the record that the allocation of lodging/tourism funds could be reconsidered for future seasons.

The transcript includes multiple references to a shared-cost model and several councilmembers said the shuttle’s roughly $15,880 portion (as discussed in the meeting) is modest relative to other city expenditures; one councilmember suggested asking Visit Galena to increase its contribution for future years. The final vote on the agreement carried.