The Wilmington City Council has passed its initial reading for the 2025 budget — it’ll require some modifications before the second reading to include changes council members have asked for.
As with earlier proposals, the budget includes significant investments in staff, including $8.6 million for recruiting and retaining skilled employees. It also includes $30 million in capital investments, as well as increased debt service payments (in large part for the purchase of the Skyline Center, formerly the ThermoFisher building). The city expects the sale of surplus property to eventually help mitigate that debt. The budget will also fund cancer screenings for firefighters, something the city’s fire department has lobbied for.
The biggest changes, driven by public outcry, were renewed funding for the Downtown Business Alliance — that was just $10,000 — and reinstating the mounted police unit, which will cost $351,000 annually…