Local governments grapple with Pandemic Year Two . . . alongside their regular business. Peoria City Council started the Jan. 26 meeting wearing their Peoria Township hats by approving township expenses for January and February. A public hearing on the…
The Watch
The Watch | Thank public workers
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on 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 | Council discusses restaurants and COVID-19
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on The Watch | Council discusses restaurants and COVID-19
If you don’t like what you saw in Washington, D.C. last month, start change by paying attention to elected officials here at home. For example, here are some highlights gathered by the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria: In…
The Watch | Local taxes in 2021
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on 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 discusses early voting spike
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on The Watch | Election Commission discusses early voting spike
God love the people who keep doing their jobs without drama and fanfare, despite the hot mess which has been 2020. And that includes most of our public officials. On Oct. 13, Peoria County Election Commission geared up for the…
The Watch | Election Commission Updates
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on 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 | Springdale sees increase in burials, cremations
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on The Watch | Springdale sees increase in burials, cremations
Whatever 2020 throws at us, your government leaders are finding a way to grind it out. Springdale Cemetery Authority met Aug. 18, using Webex. Manager Mark Matuszak reported the number of burials and cremations is up considerably over last year.…
The Watch | Peoria council discusses cuts
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on The Watch | Peoria council discusses cuts
“Normal” is not quite the right word. But a new reality is taking shape for local governments in 2020. On July 28, Peoria City Council mulled changes to the 2020-2021 budget in the wake of COVID-19. Staff was directed to…
The Watch | Technical difficulties
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on 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…
The Watch | Budget woes
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on The Watch | Budget woes
Your government officials are still Zooming, still adapting, still dancing backward around COVID-19. And the bills are just starting to arrive. All members of the Peoria County Election Commission met via Zoom on May 12 to confront a knotty problem:…