The Watch

The Watch | May 2021

Government business slogged forward in March as a fourth corona-wave appeared imminent. On March 9, after several delays, Peoria City Council updated the city code for short-term rental uses. Before this action, short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO were…

The Watch | Thank public workers

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night may stay United States Postal Service couriers from swift completion of their appointed rounds … but COVID-19 puts a cramp in them and everyone else. I can vouch, having gotten the beast.…

The Watch | Local taxes in 2021

The dreadful 2020 is over. The dreadful pandemic is not. And the dreaded bills keep coming in. On Nov. 10, Peoria City Council members wrestled with some truly appalling numbers. In part, that’s because the 2021 budget anticipated passage of…

The Watch | Election Commission Updates

While it seemed November would never come, it has. Your elected officials continue to juggle multiple crises — COVID-19, crazy weather, plummeting revenues — as they anticipate a post-election future. On Sept. 8, Peoria County Election Commission received an update…

The Watch | Technical difficulties

Zoom and its cohorts enable groups and governments to meet despite COVID-19. But virtual meetings are not the same — what is? — and can be difficult, at best. Springdale Cemetery Management Authority, for example, didn’t meet in March, April…