The Danville City Council is expected to vote on a motion to close one of the city’s fire stations. Expenditures need to be reduced in order for local officials to meet the demand to pay pension plans for the police and fire departments. But the issue of public safety has many people opposing closing down a fire department facility.

The city of Kankakee’s financial picture is gloomy too. An audit shows Kankakee’s police and fire pension liability increased by over $14 million dollars. That’s in just one-year. The price tag for that pension was at $100-million in April.

Pension reform is the cry at all levels of government. It’s so bad, many communities are being forced to raise property taxes. Local officials claim unless the state implements meaningful pension reform, the matter is out of control and can’t be fixed.

94.1 WGFA