With money tight, Du Quoin council debates new backhoe

What the city of Du Quoin should - and shouldn't - spend money on in these lean times is behind the ongoing debate over a backhoe.

Commissioner Chuck Genesio, whose area of responsibility includes the water department, proposed to the city council last week that the city replace the water department's 20-year-old backhoe with a new one, on a rent-to-own basis.

His argument that the old backhoe has gotten dangerous for workers to use, got sympathy from other commissioners. The proposed cost, however, raised concern. The city would pay $1,900 a month for five years, at the end of which time they would own it.

The city owns two backhoes, one in the water department and a newer rent-to-own one in the streets department. Genesio proposes acquiring a third one, and keeping the old one around for use in jobs that won't be a safety concern.

Commissioner Bob Karnes said he doesn't like how it looks for the city to buy an expensive piece of equipment after recently negotiating a wage freeze with the laborer's union, and while they are in the midst of attempting to negotiate a similar freeze with the police union.

In late 2020, the city also imposed a wage freeze on nonunion city employees, and raised the city portion of resident's tax bills by 15% to cover an expected jump in the cost of pension benefits for police and firefighters.

"I will say this, I think we need another one (backhoe)," Karnes said Monday. "I realize this one is dangerous, and he's got the money in his budget for it.

"But for now, we have to wait."

Commissioners can spend up to $5,000 in their departments without full city council approval.

Karnes said the street department is willing to loan its backhoe to the water department, along with someone who will train water department personnel to operate it.

"When it's time (to buy the new backhoe), I'll be the first one to vote for it," Karnes said.

The request for a backhoe was tabled for 30 days, meaning that Genesio can bring it back to the council in late February and try again. He did not respond to attempts to reach him, to ask if he intends to do that.

Commissioner Jill Kirkpatrick, who leads Finance, said she's open to hearing more from Genesio. She called on him to present a cost justification for the new backhoe - and suggested he do a study that shows how often the city's two backhoes are used, and for what, to see if the street department machine could be do double duty in the water department.

"The unanswered question is, can we share?" Kirkpatrick said on Monday.

"Everyone is sacrificing, we are in unprecedented times. We're watching the numbers and we need to be as diligent as possible."

None of the other commissioners seconded Genesio's motion to acquire the new backhoe.

Mayor Guy Alongi said the council needs more information before agreeing to the proposal. First, they need to understand why the 20-year-old backhoe is unsafe, he said, and determine whether it can be repaired.

"Maybe we can spend less money and get another couple years out of it," Alongi said. "If it's nonreparable, we need to know that, too."