City Matters: Eric Hanson – Tax Cuts Locked In, New Contracts Done, and Galesburg’s Momentum Keeps Rolling

City Manager Eric Hanson joins Jay Redfern on Galesburg's Morning News for our regular pre-meeting rundown of the December 1, 2025 Galesburg City Council session—the first of two December meetings. Fresh off his upbeat State of the City address at the Chamber’s Thanksgiving Luncheon, Hanson discusses the positive momentum in business growth, community investment, and national recognition Galesburg is earning. On tonight’s agenda: a long-overdue Purple Heart presentation to local veteran Byron Baird, a new stop sign near the revitalized Cooke Park (prompted by the latest round of traffic-safety reviews), a major upgrade to the airport’s 50-year-old fuel farm, final approval of the $76.3 million 2026 budget (with another property-tax-rate cut and the end of the city grocery tax), and new contracts with AFSCME dispatchers and IAFF firefighters. As 2025 winds down, Hanson also looks ahead to the 2026 construction season and reflects on his upcoming two-year anniversary as city manager. [widget id="custom_html-259"]