Commissioner Jamey Gay said it helps the city recruit and keep workers.
Commissioner Alex Stevens pointed out that he doesn't take any insurance coverage from the city.
Resident Ernie Moore said he is a retired federal employee and that they do pay part of their health insurance.
Resident Bernice Johnson said that she has to pay quite a bit for her Medicare insurance, and that it already has eaten up her Social Security raise. "Lot of people don't even have insurance," she said.
Resident Ray Taylor said he is retired and on a fixed income.
"It all boils down to fiscal responsibility," he said, suggesting that the old Save-A-Lot building on Main Street be renovated instead of the city building something new.
Part of the money would go toward new police station, city hall
Part of the money raised by the taxes and fees would be spent to help build a police station and city hall, city staff has said.
Resident Sarah Vahlkamp said she is in favor of the garbage and recycling fees and the stormwater utility fee. She said that it would help the city take care of the environment.
Resident Joe Chance said he doesn't want to pay a stormwater fee, if there aren't going to be any improvements to drainage.
The $2.25 fee suggested by residents wouldn't pay for improvements, but it could be used to pay back a bond issue, said City Manager Darrell Blenniss. The city needs $11-14 million in drainage improvements.
Moore asked that the city levy taxes instead of fees, so that he could deduct it from his taxes.
Blenniss said that to raise the same amount as the garbage fee - about $500,000 - property tax would have to be raised 53 percent.
Asked not to cut senior citizens center funding
Resident Jason Turpin came to ask commissioners not to cut funding to the senior citizens center, even though the city is having financial trouble.
Mayor John W.D. Bowling didn't mention the senior citizens center, but did say that community agency funding needs to be looked at again because the requests go up every year. He asked why the American Red Cross's Danville chapter is requesting money after it raised so much money for tsunami victims. Money raised for tsunami victims was given to the victims, and was not used for operational costs of the organization, the Red Cross said at the time of its fund-raising.
Resident James Hunn asked what would happen if he just paid his water bill and refused to pay for the other services. Blenniss said if commissioners pass the ordinance he suggests, residents who don't pay their entire bill will have their water shut off.
