Van Milligan Rescinds Incentive For Vaccination

Dubuque City Manager Mike Van Milligen has decided against offering a program that would provide a $100 incentive for each city staff member that receives the COVID-19 vaccine. Van Milligen announced Sunday that he was “rescinding” the program and that an item related to it would be removed from the City Council agenda for tonight’s meeting. Under the program, qualifying city staff would have been eligible for one of three incentives: a $100 gift certificate from a local restaurant of the employee’s choice, $100 gift certificate from a local not-for-profit organization or a $100 donation made in the employee’s name to a not-for-profit organization of the employee’s choice. With about 750 eligible employees, the incentive program was estimated to cost up to $75,000 if all city staff received the vaccine. The program was to be paid for through excess local option sales tax revenue the city received in November.