CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

PEKIN CITY COUNCIL

9. How should the City Council invest the remaining Downtown TIF funds?

Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce: The City Council should fund a matching grant program that is more aggressive than 50/50. Building owners in the TIF Disrict could use the grants for any TIF-eligible building improvments or maintenance projects tht would improve their budiling and the downtown. In addition, the City could use the TIF balance to fund infrastructure improvements that would attract new development in theTIF district.

Rick Hilst: Did not respond to the questionnaire.

Karen Hohimer: Encouraging entrepreneurship. We WANT diversity in our community and we should make it a priority.

John Abel: Power lines at the river front must go. Developers have told us they are slowing down future development. If we keep putting it off the cost won't get cheaper.

Work on filling the empty buildings down town. Example Schipper & Block, bank building at Court & Capital.

David Nutter: Update/repair buildings, streets, alleys, sidewalks, green spaces, lighting, etc.

Matthew T. Tucker (Tyler): The City Council should spend the remaining TIF Funds in the downtown area. In my answer to questions 3 and 4.  The neighborhoods I lived in Chicago always reminded me of Downtown Pekin.  Businesses like boutiques, restaurants, cafés, were on the bottom floors while the upper floors were apartments.  The neighborhoods flourished because of the people who lived in those apartments and the surrounding areas.  I believe if we get a “living community” in the downtown area, the surrounding neighborhoods will begin to flourish.  As the surrounding areas begin to flourish, the property values increase along with rents.  Once property values increase, so does the property taxes without The Council having to raise the rate.

These neighborhoods also held street fairs which brought in hoards of people from the surrounding suburbs and neighborhoods of Chicago.  If we held one street fair a month, we could have them start in conjunction with The Farmer’s Market.  These street fairs had many of the vendors you would find at The Marigold Festival, they had bands playing throughout the day and night.  I have seen the crowds the Car and Bike Shows bring in and I believe the more of these events the more interest will be given to Pekin from people outside of Pekin.

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