Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms gives his State of the City Address at Bally's Quad Cities Casino and Hotel on Monday, Jan. 22, 2023. CREDIT KENDA BURROWS
Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms celebrated a 2023 that included $60 million in local business development, several major grants, a rising budget surplus and a falling crime rate during his State of the City address today at Bally’s Quad Cities Casino and Hotel. Mr. Thoms also told dozens of Quad Cities leaders who gathered on […]
Already a subscriber? Log in
Want to Read More?
Get immediate, unlimited access to all subscriber content and much more. Learn more in our subscriber FAQ.
Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms celebrated a 2023 that included $60 million in local business development, several major grants, a rising budget surplus and a falling crime rate during his State of the City address today at Bally’s Quad Cities Casino and Hotel.Mr. Thoms also told dozens of Quad Cities leaders who gathered on Jan. 22 at the Rock Island casino events center that the $60 million in private sector investment resulted in the addition of nine new businesses and the expansion of 28 existing businesses last year.Rock Island also celebrated 20 grand openings and reopenings, a pair of new loan programs and more, which resulted in more than $17 million being invested in the city in 2023, he said.And there is more coming in 2024, the mayor added, including the $40 million downtown federal courthouse and office building under construction by Russell and the transformative $7.4 million Rebuild Downtown Rock Island streetscaping project expected to break ground this year. The latter project will include new water infrastructure, a gateway entrance facing Schwiebert Park, a mini roundabout for improved traffic flow, wider sidewalks for pedestrians as well as cafe seating, new lighting and public art. Housing rehabilitation in 2023 also remained a focus and that resulted in city staff completing 37 owner-occupied housing rehabilitation projects.
City's future is bright
The city’s outlook in 2024 is equally bright in other areas including economic development, the mayor said. For example, Rock Island has more than 100 projects in various stages of development. Former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert introduces current Mayor Mike Thoms at his Jan. 22, 2024 State of the City address. CREDIT KENDA BURROWSThe current mayor – who was introduced at the podium by the city’s longest serving mayor, Mark Schwiebert – also kept an eye on the past in a speech that was themed "Forward Together.”“The city is investing in the future and poised to head into 2024 strengthened by its community partnerships,” Mr. Thoms said. “We move forward together with resilience, inclusion and collaboration.”To help “strengthen the city’s outlook” into that future, the mayor said, in 2023 Rock Island also added two new city positions. In addition to a new in-house, on-staff city attorney Leslie Day, the city council hired Thomas Flaherty as its new economic development director. He will work hand-in-hand with Rock Island’s Community and Economic Development Department and CED Director Miles Brainard, the mayor said.That department also successfully navigated the city’s largest modern-day geographic expansion with the annexation of 538 acres in southwest Rock Island. “Part of it’s wet(lands),” Mr. Thoms said, "but part of it we believe can be developed.”The mayor also celebrated public and private sector partnerships including with the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Rock Island Alliance, its Executive Director Jack Cullen and the alliance’s special service area taxpayers who are already at work making the city’s downtown streets safer, cleaner and more vibrant.The mayor also saluted the entire city staff, including the Public Works Department, which in addition to dealing with the recent brutal winter weather, also faced cleanup from “a Top 10 flooding event” event LAST spring and a tornado that ripped through parts of Rock Island in late June.
Parks get boost in '23
The city parks and facilities also were boosted in 2023, with more projects in the works in the year ahead. They include:
Lighting at Douglas Park ball fields.
Ongoing remodeling project at RIFAC (the Rock Island Fitness and Activity Center). It includes men’s and women’s locker room updates, a new steam room and sauna, and installation of new windows in the pool area.
Denkmann Park had a complete makeover in 2023 with installation of ADA accessible sidewalks, a new concrete basketball court and hoops, and rehab of the picnic shelter and playground.
A new, 3,000-square-foot clubhouse was built at Highland Springs Golf Course with a First Tee classroom, outdoor patio and ADA parking and pathways.
Renovations of the Carriage House at the Hauberg Estate, including new ADA restrooms, all new windows, doors, glass storefront with breezeway, and a bar and event space.
A nearly $1 million grant to pay for construction of a new clubhouse at Saukie Golf Course, to replace the original 95-year-old clubhouse.
Six new tennis courts with pickleball striping were constructed at Lincoln Park that will serve as the home of Augustana College tennis teams, Alleman High School tennis and for the community. The project was funded by Augustana College.
Six pickleball courts were constructed at Mel McKay Park with American Rescue Plan Act funding and an Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant. Fencing, seating and parking areas were also installed.
Fiscal outlook healthy
The city not only held the line on taxes in 2023, the mayor said, it maintained a healthy reserve fund and invested millions in surplus funds back into the city in 2023. To help further improve the city’s budgeting capabilities, Mr. Thoms said, new financial software also will be installed this year. It’s designed to improve services for citizens and businesses of Rock Island, including by providing other options for bill paying, including monthly building, and providing financial information at the click of a button. The Public Works Department also will soon begin an ambitious five-year project to replace water meters in all Rock Island properties.The city’s police and fire departments continued to attract talented new first responders and the police department worked with the Rock Island-Milan School District to bring a school resource officer back to the high school beginning in 2024.Rock Island police also continued to work with the Davenport Police Department and Family Resources throughout 2023 in their efforts to bring Group Violence Intervention (GVI) to Rock Island.The mayor also reported that the number of gun crimes dropped by 25% in 2023 and the number of seized firearms increased by 20%. “We’re confident it’s going to continue to work and go down,” Mr. Thoms said of crime rates. That effort should be helped along, he added, thanks to the support of local foundations that will allow Rock Island police to partner with the National Network for Safer Communities to begin implementing GVI in Rock Island starting in 2024.
Library celebrates milestones
The mayor also lauded the Rock Island Public Library – the oldest public library in the Land of Lincoln. In 2023, it celebrated its 150th Anniversary and the 120th anniversary of its downtown 19th Street branch with historical programs and events. It also tied the ribbon on its unique new and modern branch library. The shared facility with the Two Rivers YMCA is one of just a handful of library/YMCA combos in the United States. The mayor also singled out for praise the city’s partners including the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, which also celebrated a year of progress that included making progress toward delivering a homegrown West End Revitalization program to city leaders some time soon.
