Grundy Center council approves pay raises for city staff, rejects plan to dissolve city police department

The Grundy Center City Council on July 1 adopted an amended wage resolution that increases pay for police and ambulance employees by 10% and provides a 5% raise for other city employees for fiscal year 2025. The amended Resolution 2024-44 passed with four ayes (Mcdonald, Smith, Lamp, Kuester) and one abstention (Rasmussen).

Council debated a separate measure, Resolution 2024-45, that would have dissolved the city’s Chapter 35 Police Department and directed staff to pursue a 28E agreement with the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office. After discussion about resident support for keeping a local police force and concerns about market wage adjustments, the motion failed with two ayes (Kuester, Lamp) and three nays (Mcdonald, Smith, Rasmussen).

Why it matters: The wage amendment directs a near-term increase in compensation for public-safety staff, a move city leaders said is intended to address staffing and market-competitiveness concerns. The failed dissolution vote keeps the city-operated police department intact for now; council members and residents signaled strong local interest in retaining a municipal force.

Council debate and votes: Councilmember Mcdonald moved and Smith seconded the amendment to Resolution 2024-44 to set the 10% and 5% increases; the amended resolution carried 4–0 with one abstention. For the police-dissolution proposal, Rasmussen moved and Lamp seconded consideration, but the final tally was 2 ayes and 3 nays, so the proposal did not pass.

Voices in the meeting: Smith said he wanted "one more chance" to allow the local police department to remain, citing public support expressed during the meeting. Other council members said market wage adjustments are needed and that changes may still be required over time. Mayor Dr. Paul Eberline acknowledged difficult conversations and said the city sought to provide the best package possible for employees.

Next steps: The wage increases take effect July 1, 2024, per the resolution. There was no further formal action on police-department structure; any future consideration of intergovernmental arrangements would require a formal proposal and another council vote. Note on transcript: the meeting record header lists July 1, 2024; one internal line in the minutes references "Monday, June 3, 2024," which appears to be an error in the minutes text; this article uses the July 1, 2024 meeting date shown in the record header.