Last year saw the completion of some major projects in Washington, including Kern Road, North Cummings Lane and the renovation of the former library building to house City Hall.
This year, however, Mayor Gary Manier said residents will see a lot less development and construction around town.
“It’s going to look like we’re not really doing anything. But, it’s because we don’t have the funding,” he said.
Looking ahead to fiscal year 2010-11, Manier said the city’s biggest challenge will be the tight budget and living within the city’s means.
“We’re pretty lean this year, the ’09-10 fiscal year … but we’ve avoided layoffs and are still in the black. Our council is really big on being fiscally responsible.” Manier said.
Being fiscally responsible and avoiding raising taxes means city officials need to prioritize, and some projects, such as the police station renovations, will be put on hold.
“If we could find the funds, I’d do the police station renovations tomorrow. But it could be two to three years,” Manier said.
The city also recently had to decide which road projects to submit to the Peoria/Pekin Urbanized Area Transportation Study for development year 2015-16.
Manier said the city’s top two road project priorities this year are the Freedom Parkway expansion and Dallas Road, where heavy pedestrian traffic with no sidewalks poses public safety problems.
“Freedom Parkway, from a business perspective, is critical since we’re sales-tax dependant. But Dallas Road is surrounded by two of our largest subdivisions, Trails Edge and Devonshire. From a public safety standpoint, it’s a huge issue.”
The Public Services Committee recently submitted both projects to PPUATS with all priority given to the Dallas Road improvement project. Manier said he hopes they will be able to help fund the projects.
In addition to these two major projects, the city will also continue with regular street maintenance, although it will not be as aggressive as past years, and the Route 8 expansion, including the development of the corridor with the current streetscape study being conducted.
Other personal goals Manier has for 2010 and his third term are a continued focus on cooperative regionalism and responsible business development in Washington.
“The more businesses we have, the more revenue we can generate through sales tax. But we always try to find businesses and opportunities that do not directly compete with existing family owned businesses already in Washington,” Manier said.
Overall, the mayor said he is very optimistic he, the council and city staff will be able to meet the financial challenges the following fiscal year will bring.
And, if the economy and revenues begin to come back, Manier said he will be ready to tackle some lingering projects around town.
Washington, Ill. —
