28-01-2025
Pekin Mayor holds State of the City address, details yearly plan
PEKIN, Ill. (WMBD) — It's a new year, Pekin's 201st to be exact.
At the Pekin Public Library, Mayor Amy Burress address around 50 residents and business owners on what 2025 looks like for the city.
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Probably the most celebrated aspect of the address by the mayor was how the city has handled their finances as of late, among what projects will be continued this year.
'We are going in the right direction,' Burress said. 'We are stable now. I want people to believe in us and to know that our finances are in order to make the city grow.'
The finance department of the city is currently working to pay off pension debt at 105% to have it paid off quicker. They are organizing the yearly budget, and are sending in the 2023-24 fiscal year audit.
Burress gave the department a round of applause for what they have been able to do for the past year.
A major note made at the address was the purchase of Luttiken land which will connect Veterans Drive to Interstate 474.
Burress said she also acquired a $2.8 million grant for Broadway Street in Pekin which she said will be 'developing within the next two years.'
Construction on Court Street and Derby Street will be continued this year as well.
Just as the city dug up the 50 year old time capsule on the Fourth of July, they are going to make another one.
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It won't be buried, however, after the difficulty it took to retrieve the previous capsule, with moisture ruining a few items inside.
The city is accepting items until May.
Other items discussed in the State of the City included the just over $10 million budget, commercial and economic development with a hope of bringing in more business, and the optimism for resources available and for the opportunities ahead for the city.
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