As we approach the end of the year, the City is again faced with a decision on what our portion of the property tax levy will be. It is one of those very difficult choices City Council must make each year amid increasing costs and no decrease in community needs. Do we raise taxes? Cut services to the public? Kick the can down the road on infrastructure and equipment? None of it sounds very good. This is when I am reminded of why our work in development is so important to the City’s future. Instead of increasing taxes, we can increase our tax base by bringing new businesses, homes, and jobs so the financial burden of providing quality services is spread out. It’s the right way to grow a community.

It isn’t just about taxes either. With every new small business, we grow the heart of our business community. With every national retailer, we grow our reputation and presence in the development world. With every manufacturer, we grow our employment opportunities. With every new home, we grow our community.

This growth doesn’t just happen by itself though. By providing small business grants, tax incentives, and quality land for sale, the City makes real growth happen. We create an environment that encourages new development and redevelopment. After so many years of people saying, “Why Pekin?” we are making them ask themselves, “Why not Pekin?” With the support from organizations like Pekin Main Street and the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce, we aim to stay in touch with the factors affecting small business. With our relationships with real estate agents and developers, we seek out and try to remove barriers to development. We don’t roll over for development, but we invite it here and put in the effort to land it here. That reputation is getting around the state, region, and even the whole country now, and it is bringing new interest.

Having been Mayor for over half my term now, I will not promise to only make the popular choice about taxes, which of course would be to always vote no. I and my fellow Council members were elected to make the hard choices, and sometimes the unpopular choice is truly what is best in the long run. We avoid tax and fee increases whenever practical, and we challenge staff when they tell us they believe in their professional opinions that it must be done. But other communities are going bankrupt or insolvent, and we cannot let that be Pekin. That said, I will promise to keep doing everything I can to bring real growth to Pekin so that future generations look back and thank us for the hard choice in the moment that created prosperity.

November 8: Who Let the Dogs Out? A “PG” Murder-Mystery Dinner

November 15: Pekin Christmas Extravaganza

November 21: Pekin Christmas Extravaganza

November 28: Small Business Saturday

November 30: Pekin Winter Wonderland Festival

December 5: Christmas on Court

December 29-31: Pekin Holiday Tournament

Visit DiscoverPekin.com to see more awesome community events!