GREETINGS FROM MAYOR LARRY MORRISSEY
April 2007Dear Friend:
With spring upon us, I'm writing to give you my quarterly update. As many of you know, I delivered my 2nd annual State of the City address last month. Here are some of the highlights:
Education/Youth Issues:
- An effective, comprehensive approach to truancy that has made a difference.
- The development of the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council.
- Positive messaging and activities for teens with "nFactor".
- The creation of a new "Community Education Partnership" to bring the School District, the City and the County together to support education.
Public Safety/Community Development:
- A new Chief brings innovation and positive change to the department.
- Strategies such as Weed and Seed show reduction in crime.
- Older neighborhoods see signs of renaissance with plans for housing project redevelopment and new housing inventive programs.
Economic Development:
- Lowe's Grand Opening of its distribution center brings hundreds of jobs to Rockford.
- UPS expansion shows region's strengths as a transportation hub.
- Anderson Packaging Expansion brings 250 more jobs to area residents.
- MetroCentre Renovation Plan breathes new life into a tired downtown facility.
- City-County Employee Housing Assistance Program encourages families to reinvest in the Rockford community.
Regional/International Affairs:
- Mayor Daley visit speaks to the need to build regional partnerships.
- Sister City/Trade Missions to Sweden and China and relationship with Ferrentino, Italy open doors in the international community and brings new business to Rockford.
- Greater levels of cooperation and goals in regional planning efforts.
City Management
- New Customer Request System (CSR) sets the stage for the RockStat launch.
- A balanced budget for 2007 with lower property tax rate.
- Regional branding initiative launched to support region's originality and positive image.
Our focus now is the passage of the road referendum on the April 17th ballot. This is the opportunity to make a major positive change for our community in the way we finance roads and other capital projects. The old way continually increased our property tax rate with the passage of each bond referendum and created over $50 million of debt over time. The new way gives the voters a chance to "pay as you go" but will not tax cars, medicine or groceries. It will also generate 35% of revenues from out-of-town shoppers who drive on our roads but have not in the past had to pay for them. Go to www.rebuildingrockford.com for more information. These are the important facts regarding the referendum:
- It is unacceptable to have a road plan that continues to raise our property taxes;
- It is unacceptable to continue to build debt instead of roads with over $50 million of property tax based debt on our "community credit card" due to the old road program;
- It is unacceptable to have a capital plan that fails to invest in storm water management projects like that which was promised for the flood victims in Rolling Green, but never built, because the old way did not have enough funds.
- It is unacceptable to rely on the "vehicle sticker" for maintenance since the out-of-towners aren't required to buy one, and the enforcement was too expensive and incomplete.
- To get the ball rolling on our path to a new and better way, our City Council unanimously voted to eliminate the vehicle sticker demonstrating that there is a new day dawning in Rockford!
By replacing the property tax with sales tax, we are headed down a new path that just makes sense.
- It's common sense to reduce our property tax rate, which is currently the highest in the State for cities over 70,000 people. When we pass the referendum in April, that rate will continue to come down, as it did this year. In fact, it will drop by 24 cents in the first five years alone as we work to retire the $50 million dollars of accumulated debt on our property taxes.
- It's common sense to start getting support for our roads from the out-of-towners who drive on them, but don't pay for them.
- It's common sense to not pay interest and not incur more debt for our children.
- It's common sense to build roads, not debt. Because we will not pay interest and because the out-of-towners will help us pay, we will get $16 million worth of work for $10.4 million instead of $8 million worth of work costing us $11.6 million. We will actually pay less, but get more!
- It's common sense because we can leverage our local referendum dollars to bring in well over $50 million in State and Federal funds over the next five years alone.
- And it's common sense because we have tied all of this to a specific, five-year plan, with a five-year sunset provision. With this added feature, you, the voter, will have the opportunity to make sure we did what we promised we would do.
Make no mistake about it; this referendum is our road program. This referendum is our future. I am asking for your support for this referendum on April 17th.
To request a "Paving the Way" yard sign, go to www.rebuildingrockford.com/1148/index.html. If you would like to help with phone or door-to-door canvassing, please contact Marge Bevers at (815) 962-2199 or beversden@insightbb.com. To make a donation, mail a check to Citizens for Rebuilding Rockford, P.O. Box 4403, Rockford, IL 61110. And please remember to Vote YES on April 17th!
Thanks again for your support.
All my best,
Mayor Larry Morrissey
City of Rockford