DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The city of Decatur has doubled operating fees for video gaming terminals in the city.Â
The 5-2 decision came Monday night, when the Decatur City Council voted to move annual fees from $250 to $500. The change means a facility with the maximum five terminals now has to pay $2,500 each year to have video gaming.Â
The move came in an effort to not only raise revenue, but also crack down on video gaming. Statistics from the Illinois Gaming Board show people in Decatur spent over $175 million on gaming in the first half of 2018, with the city pocketing $736,000 of the over $14 million in profits.Â
The second vote dealt with who will oversee ambulance dispatch in Decatur. A new ordinance gave control to the Decatur Fire Department, despite the Central Illinois Regional Dispatch Center pushing to have authority.Â
Firefighters will make decisions about who responds where, even if a company moves into the city and competes with Decatur Ambulance. That organization is the only one in Decatur at this time.Â
The council approved the ambulance ordinance 6-0, with Mayor Julie Moore-Wolfe abstaining because she works in a leadership role at HSHS St. Mary's Hospital.Â
