ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager with a Request to Approve the ANNUAL CITY AND COUNTY JOINT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
Body
BACKGROUND: Each year for the last few years, the City and County of Peoria have jointly hosted a breakfast for area state legislators. The event offers both bodies an opportunity to network with state elected leaders, ask questions, share concerns and advance local items of interest. This date of this year's event, to be held at the Gateway Building, is still being finalized but will be in late January or early February.
In the fall of 2014, members of the City Council and individual City department heads were solicited for items to be included in the 2015 legislative agenda. A summary of the submitted items is included below. This agenda was approved by the Metro Peoria Committee of City and County representatives at their December 10, 2014 meeting. The agenda is separated into three different areas. There are eight issues for which the City and/or County are directly asking legislators to sponsor legislation. There are eight issues for which the City and/or County are asking legislators to support a particular position. Finally, there are six requests for funding of capital projects. Both City and County requests are listed below, as well as any joint requests. Staff is working to prepare a booklet that explains each issue in greater depth. Council is being asked to approve City and joint initiatives.
Requests for Direct Sponsorship
· Joint Request - Declare Vacant Land Abandoned: Allow cities to declare vacant land abandoned when its owner ceases maintaining the property.
· Joint Request - Non-Ad Valorem Property Tax Item: Allow the creation of a non-ad valorem property tax line for the collection of Peoria's garbage collection fee.
· City Request - State Historic Tax Credit Extension: Extend the Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit until 2021.
· City Request - Property Tax Reform: Allow property tax assessments to increase or decrease according to real estate asking price.
· City Request - Walkable Urban Areas: Funnel the local share of State Motor Fuel Taxes directly to municipalities or require IDOT to comply with local design guidelines and policies when rehabilitating infrastructure.
· City Request - Property Liens on Owner Property. Allow for the placement of liens on other property owned by landlords to recover cost of City repair or cleaning of rental property.
· County Request - Erroneous Homestead Exemptions: Extend authority granted to counties under PA 098-0093 under 35 ILCS 200/9-275 to include all counties, not just Cook County to track down and collect fines from property owners that have multiple exemptions when they should not.
· County Request - Retailers Occupation Tax Access: Extend authority granted to municipalities in PA 098-1058 under 35 ILCS 120/11 to include counties.
· County Request - Co-Employer Relationship of County Boards: Create a legislative solution to grant county boards greater co-employer authority over employees represented by collective bargaining agreements and working in county elected officials offices, county agencies, boards, and commissions.
Request for Position Support
· Joint Request - Illinois Fiscal Concerns: Support efforts that protect and enhance existing revenue base of local governments in the face of increasing pressure to use traditionally local revenues to bridge the State budget gap.
· Joint Request - DCEO Flexibility: Revise process for attracting and retaining businesses with State incentives.
· Joint Request - Sustainable Infrastructure Funding: Find alternatives to keep transportation funding structures in line with inflation.
· City Request - Preserve Home Rule Powers: Support efforts to preserve home rule authority when drafting statewide legislations (i.e. cannabis, video gambling, etc.)
· City Request - Local Pension Reform: Support common sense reforms for the public safety pension system, including adoption of a 30-year rolling amortization period.
· City Request - Special Assessments for Municipal Charges: Allow fines, fees and other municipal debts to be collected via special assessment on property taxes.
· County Request - Probation Officer Salary: Maintain reimbursement levels for probation officers' salaries from the Supreme Court at fully-funded levels.
Capital Projects
· County Request - County Jail Kitchen / Laundry Expansion: Support funding for the expansion and remodeling of a new kitchen and laundry at the Peoria County Jail.
· County Request - Willow Knolls & Allen Road Intersection: Support funding to reconstruct the intersection.
· County Request - Old Galena Road Reconstruction: Support funding to reconstruct Old Galena Road from Cedar Hills Drive to Route 29, less the intersection with State Street.
· City Request - Pioneer Parkway Extension: Support funding for the extension of Pioneer Parkway.
· City Request - University Street Repair: Support funding for the rehabilitation of University Street between Pioneer Parkway and Townline Road.
· City Request - Pedestrian Infrastructure on State Routes: Support funding for construction of pedestrian infrastructure on existing state routes, especially War Memorial/150 and Knoxville.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The individual items on the legislative agenda represent opportunities for the City to save money, operate more efficiently, or invest in major City projects.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: Many of the legislative items would benefit neighborhoods.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The legislative agenda will be presented to local legislators.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The legislative agenda will not be presented to local legislators.
ALTERNATIVES: City items can be added, deleted or modified.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: Not applicable.
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL'S 2014 - 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Financially Sound City Government, Effective City Organization
2. Grow Peoria: Businesses, Jobs, and Population
3. Attractive Neighborhoods with Character: Safe and Livable
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Grow employers and jobs.
2. Invest in our infrastructure and transportation.
3. Have an efficient government.
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office