The Central City Village Board, during a special meeting Wednesday night, approved a payment as part of a settlement resolving a lawsuit filed by the village’s former police chief.
Trustees voted unanimously in favor of a $75,000 payment, which will represent Central City’s portion of a settlement awarded to Nicholas Heath, who filed suit in federal court in 2022. Village officials said the remainder of the settlement will be covered by insurance.
Heath was terminated from his position by the village board in June 2021, just six months after being promoted from sergeant to chief.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the village and several village officials. The suit centered on allegations that Heath was subjected to discriminatory treatment and improper disciplinary measures in violation of his civil rights and employment protections.
Also on Wednesday, the village board discussed a proposed budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which begins on May 1st, but tabled the item in order to fine-tune a few lines in the budget. Officials said the proposed budget contains around $25,000 more in revenues than expenditures.
