You can read a copy of Mayor Ardis’s “State of the City” address by downloading a PDF copy of it from the city’s website.
You can read a copy of Mayor Ardis’s “State of the City” address by downloading a PDF copy of it from the city’s website.
The new census reports “an additional 3,2456 citizens in select areas of the City. Added to our last special census in 2004, that brings the total additional citizens since the 2000 census up to 8,455….”
I am not questioning those numbers, I just do not feel that they tell the complete story.
8,455 citizens in select areas while a decrease in the inner core seems highly probable. Would 8,455 additional citizens in presumably more affluent neighborhoods deliver an increase in our sales tax that would be demonstratable? Is it just shift?
Let’s just state that in the last COP budget there was plenty of money for growth areas and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Districts were scrambling over pocket change for sidewalks in the inner core. The Sheridan Triangle is still not funded nor the nearby creek/storm project is not funded at approx. $1.3 million to name a couple of projects and the money flows to the Fifth District.
We have to develop a plan and have the courage and fortitude to stick to it rather than the usual change each and every election cycle. Citizens are worn out with the Walking Eagle syndrome.
“The city’s equalized assessed valuation has nearly tripled from 1989 through 2006.” This is true — just don’t live in the inner city — for example, our taxes have triped in fourteen years and it would be nothing short of a miracle to sell my home for fair market value — akin to finding a pot of gold at the end of rainbow.
Hoping 2008 and will better for Peorians! 🙂
“An additional 3,245 citizens in select areas of the City.” The select areas are better know as the Dunlap school district.
Karrie,
I believe you are correct. I think the difference in numbers is simply people who have left the core and have moved away and we have enticed other people to move out north. Problem is that the people who are staying the core are either 1. tired of fighting or 2. the one’s being fought. 3. a series of behinds in the air from their ostrich imitations. I have made the sales tax argument. It would have increased, if nothing else people paying more “gas tax” into the city coiffers.
I am going to have to ask one more time about the Sheridan Triangle, but at the budget sessions, the money for the engineering was out of the 2007 budget and the project was not slated to be done for 5 years (it’s 2 blocks). We also have been trying to get the Dry Run Creek repairs made. Residents in our area have lost 50-60 feet of their back yards due to erosion apparantly from storm water being drained in the creek from the Bluff. Each storm more erodes. We couldn’t even score the money for the engineering study. It was rated 29/32 on priority projects. Some council members really really let us down on this. It was a priority at election and then………(crickets chirping….)George Jacob brought up both of these projects during the budget session, but Councilmembers who said they would support us lost their voice..or rather lost “OUR” voice on these issues. We have been looking for funding on our own for the creek, as clearly the city is not interested in this neck of the woods.
On our own, we have met with several state and Federal Agencies, looking for grant or other funding for the creek. The staff at these agencies have asked by the municiple government isn’t working on this. Schock’s office has been searching for resources as well. Another reason why he gets my support. He is helping here when the city should be, but isn’t.
RE: the Triangle. We actively particiated in the charettes and were excited that there were finally going to be some investment in this area.
We have worked very hard with the police and code enforcement to get areas cleaned up, anticipating some type of investment, as no one would stop to shop at the Triangle if there were thugs out selling drugs and waiving guns on McClure or Sheridan. We have worked with some of the businesses to try to make things better at their lots. We have been working on safety and beautification projects (with no city funding) in attempts to make the area more attractive. When Mike Simms of Planning and Growth presented at the Neighborhood Alliance about the city needing ideas and proposals for HUD projects, we did a power point with extensive pictures and suggestions for improvements showing what could be done as a project HUD, as we meet the income requirements, were a Weed n Seed area, etc. The Enterprise zone which stops at Thrush from the South and now includes Parts of Sheridan at the Triangle could be utilized, but won’t be a huge tool for the area. Ardis and Jacob have always been here when needed, I respect them greatly, but it is still hard not feel an abandoned section of town when looking at how easily new areas are supported and funded. I am greatly concerned that as new projects are brought forward, like the condo’s on the Taft project, ours will keep getting bumped further and further down the list. Some on the council seem to love to bring new projects on board. I am glad that new ideas come forward, new strategies are tried, and energies get renewed, but some of these other projects simply need to be completed. They effect some of our residents on a daily basis.