Unless the council asks staff to put it back in, the Heart of Peoria Commission will receive none of the $145,000 it requested from the 2008 capital budget.
Plans were to use the money to bring in a transportation expert to help the city develop a comprehensive transportation policy for the Heart of Peoria area (the process would include all stakeholders through the use of charrettes), a comprehensive marketing strategy for the Heart of Peoria Area with materials to raise awareness of the opportunities that exist for residential and commercial investment, and grant writing to get more non-city funding for projects.
Earlier this year, the mayor suggested changing the Heart of Peoria Commission from a city commission to a private advocacy group similar to Peoria City Beautiful. After further negotiation, a compromise was reached where HOPC would remain a city commission, but would meet less frequently (six times per year instead of twelve).
The council accepted the commission’s work plan, except for the capital budget items because they needed to go through the budget process with all other projects. We’re now in that process, and HOPC’s requested funding is not in the budget recommendation from city staff. Since the budget is currently balanced, a council member who wants to see HOPC’s funding restored will have to find an equal amount of money to cut elsewhere.
Very sad — taxpayers spent the money to plan and now no money to carry out the plan … we just get going in circles.
Maybe after taxpayer funding, those elected determined there wasn’t broad based support for the initiative.
CJ,
I get very little use out of the infrastructure I helped pay for on 150 past route 6. At the same time, I get screwed by the crime, rental properties and deteriorating infrastructure and neighborhoods near my home in the central bluff area. We have too many of our council people who live north of War Memorial and we need to do something about that during the next at-large election cycle.
During the past election I heard Spain, Jacobs, Turner, Montelongo and Sandberg proclaim their deepest concern for Peoria’s older neighborhoods and I heard them say they were committed to of the Heart of Peoria Plan. In fact, several of them became quite perturbed when I questioned their commitment during the Uplands’ candidates forum. So, I guess we will be able to gauge their commitment level when they vote to approve “zero” funding
Why not attend:
MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2007, at 5:30 P.M.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING to Hold a BUDGET SESSION Regarding the 2008 City of Peoria Budget – To be Held at City Hall, Council Chambers (Room 400), 419 Fulton Street, Peoria, Illinois.
I imagine that the “0” will be replaced with something more substantial.
Billy — I don’t believe they’ll be allowing citizens to address the council at the budget session, will they?
I didn’t say otherwise. But it’s sometimes best to see the sausage as it is being made.