Decatur council adopts budget, credit-card and police-fee ordinances; tables salary measures

The City of Decatur Common Council voted unanimously Oct. 7 to adopt multiple administrative ordinances affecting city finances and police fees.

Ordinance 2025-11, which amends departmental credit-card limits, was placed on its second reading by short title and adopted on a 5-0 roll-call vote after Councilor Jenny Bowers-Shultz moved for adoption and Councilor Abby Wilder seconded. Attorney Anne Razo read the ordinance by short title.

Ordinance 2025-13, addressing budget appropriations and tax rates, was also read by short title and adopted on its second and final reading by a 5-0 roll-call vote. Clerk-Treasurer Eran Hackman read the ordinance on the floor before the vote.

Ordinance 2025-14, which raises Police Department fees for copies and recordings, followed the same short-title second-reading procedure and passed 5-0.

Councilor Bowers-Shultz placed two additional ordinances on first reading: Ordinance 2025-15 to set salaries for city employees and Ordinance 2025-16 to set salaries for elected officials. Both ordinances were read by short title, motions to adopt on first reading initially passed, and then the Council voted to table both measures until the Oct. 28, 2025 meeting.

Mayor Rickord also announced that the Oct. 21 Council meeting will be rescheduled to Oct. 28 because several members will attend a conference.

The council did not provide further fiscal details in the meeting record; specific salary amounts and effective dates for Ordinances 2025-15 and 2025-16 were not specified and will return to the Council at the Oct. 28 session.