As we wrap up the City’s activities from 2024, we look to new opportunities and challenges facing us in 2025. City Council and staff have begun preparation of the next annual budget, which is perhaps the most influential policy Council passes each year, so I wanted to give you a broad look at priorities for the new year.

Infrastructure
The City has too long neglected maintenance and repair of its roads, sidewalks, and sewers. While we can’t fix everything at once, we can make a more concerted effort to put money towards these needs. We are working on a multiyear capital improvement plan and will be including several million dollars’ worth of road and sewer improvements in the next budget, mostly paid from the TIF/BDD funds. It’s not cheap – just the next stretch of Court Street from Stadium to 8th is estimated at $12 million – but it’s needed, and reinvestment into our community is what we deserve. Along with Court Street, we are working through the thousands of sidewalk improvements needed for accessibility, we are nearing project kick-off for the combined sewer outflow (CSO) project mandated by EPA, we are making plans for the next phase of Derby Street, we are awaiting news from the State to fund major improvements downtown, and we have been awarded a grant from Tri-County Regional Planning Commission to help redo Broadway. Infrastructure stands right beside public safety as a core service to our community, and we have started acting like it.

Audits
We will again be working towards completing two audits in 2025. The FY22 audit is in the final stage of auditor review and writing, and the City is ready to submit our FY23 paperwork to them immediately. Audit firms are taking longer to review than in the past, but we are confident we will have FY23 completed mid-year to then hopefully have FY24 completed by end of year. Having audits completed timely and accurately is extremely important for financial record keeping, public transparency, and eligibility for bonds, loans, and grants to keep our City moving forward in a financially responsible way.

Growth
The City Council approved an option agreement for an industrial development at our first meeting this year. If the company’s due diligence turns out good, and if the Council ultimately approves their site plan, this project is estimated to generate 25 new head-of-household jobs as well as an additional $10 million of real estate tax revenue. These kinds of projects add value to the community and spread out the tax base so that the City and other taxing bodies can provide better service or lower taxes paid by residents, so the City is taking a strategic approach to making more developments and redevelopments happen in a way that truly benefits the City and the community. Major focuses for growth will be revitalization in our commercial corridors, industrial growth in the Riverway Business Park, planning for the Veterans Drive extension through the Lutticken property, and diverse housing options to draw in and keep families here in Pekin.

Strategic Planning
Making positive things happen starts with a vision for the future. The City hasn’t had a strategic plan in years, but we should because it gives us an organized roadmap for improvement. Right now, we spend a lot of time dealing with complaints and putting out fires. With a strategic plan, we will have clear direction from the Council with community input on how we make proactive change. City Manager Dossey and staff have done a very fine job keeping us on track the last year, and we have been laying the foundation for the future, but now it is time to make the future happen.

For anyone wanting to learn more, I am planning to start Coffee with the Mayor where I will bring one or two City department heads with me to chat with people, answer questions, and have a more informal and open dialogue about City business than what can be done at a City Council meeting, so look for more info about that very soon.