A brief, unexpected conversation has sparked a broader discussion in Delavan about what kinds of businesses the city should—or should not—welcome as it looks for ways to fund major infrastructure needs.

At the most recent Delavan City Council meeting, Ward 3 Alderman Linda Slabaugh recounted a chance encounter she had with Josh Wray, director of economic development for the City of Pekin. Their conversation touched on economic development strategies and the challenges small communities face when trying to attract new investment.

Slabaugh told the council that the exchange prompted her to think more critically about Delavan’s own approach. She asked Mayor Adam White and fellow aldermen whether there were any categories of businesses the city would be unwilling to consider.

Her question came in the context of Delavan’s looming infrastructure needs, particularly water and sewer improvements—projects that will require significant long‑term funding.

Slabaugh noted that Wray had mentioned Pekin’s recent decision to decline a potential data center project after organized community opposition. With that in mind, she asked whether Delavan should consider opportunities that other communities might turn away.

“To get this infrastructure up, we need money,” Slabaugh said during the meeting. She emphasized that Delavan’s small residential base limits the city’s ability to rely on property taxes alone. “There are only three ways to get money: one is to spend less, you can make more and you don’t want to go after—we only have 600 households, we can’t go after residential taxes—so we have to get businesses in here to pay those taxes.”

Slabaugh suggested that a data center could be one example of a business with the potential to offset the cost of infrastructure improvements, though she did not advocate for any specific proposal. Instead, she encouraged the council to think proactively about what types of development Delavan might be open to pursuing.

No formal action was taken, but the discussion signaled a growing urgency among council members to identify sustainable revenue sources as the city prepares for costly infrastructure upgrades.