CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

MAYOR, CITY OF PEKIN

15. Are there areas where spending needs to be increased? Are there deparments that are understaffed? If yes, where does spending need to increase and where would the money come from?

Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce: We need to hire a full-time, experienced, economic development professional. Much of the funding for that position could come from the Downtown TIF fund, and the Tourism (Hotel/Motel Tax) fund. Street maintenance needs to be a higher priority in the budget. We need to lobby the legislature for our fair share of the Local Roads funding.

Mark A. Luft: Refer to #14: There are always opportunities to cut spending and reallocate spending in areas where there is waste. The best way to find the right answers in both areas is to start with face to face interaction with all departments. Meeting with city employees and getting their input on where they see waste and where they need help. When employees are treated as part of the team and encouraged to engage in open dialog, they tend to become more involved in helping find solutions. Citizens should never feel that their input is not heard in regards to taxes and fees. If there needs to be a change in these areas, the public should be fully informed and allowed their input. We need to establish a simpler and clearer form of communicating these issues to our community.

John McCabe: It would be nice to increase spending in a number of areas, but the revenues are not there to support any increases. The area that has the biggest need for an increase is the area of public safety. Our pensions are an area of real concern. We need to make up for past funding mistakes, but finding the resources is the real problem. We need to continue exploring all options.