Mike Farha
When Bill Veeck owned baseball teams and sat in the bleachers or Harry Caray broadcast baseball games from the cheap seats, it was funny. But when Alderman Mike Farha (R-4th Ward) sat in the audience during Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting, it was not funny. When roll was called, he said he was just going…
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QUINCY — Many people asked for their thoughts Monday night about the death of John Spring were quick to note his leadership and sense of community. Ray Heilmann, a teacher and principal at Quincy Notre Dame High School who worked alongside Spring for several years, offered a different perspective. He called Spring “one of the…
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QUINCY – As Halloween approaches, the issue of the 48th and State roundabout continues to haunt the community. It returns from the dead as does Count Dracula. It staggers like a zombie from “The Walking Dead.” Wooden stake, anyone? Daryl Dixon’s crossbow handy? The issue doesn’t appear to be any closer to finality as a…
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QUINCY — Jack Holtschlag (D-7) said he didn’t know how the vote would go when he made a motion to have another vote for the City of Quincy to partner with Adams County to build a roundabout at the intersection of 48th and State. “I go by there three or four times a day, and not…
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QUINCY — Two aldermen changed their minds on Monday night and were the swing votes in an 8-6 decision by the Quincy City Council to approve the low bid from Blick’s Construction for $143,413 to demolish a sludge pump station south of Clat Adams Bicentennial Park on the riverfront — using money from the city’s…
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QUINCY — The adoption of an ordinance calling for the end of the electrical aggregation program for the city of Quincy was tabled until May 5, and aldermen directed the city administration not to enter any more aggregation contracts when the current contract with Constellation expires on Jan. 1. The Quincy City Council voted Sept.…
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QUINCY — The Quincy City Council voted Monday night to have an ordinance drafted to end the city’s electrical aggregation program. Several aldermen noted during the Sept. 3 meeting that they were receiving complaints from customers who were automatically enrolled in the aggregation program, having their electric supply service switched to Constellation. City officials said…
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QUINCY — A rewritten resolution that authorizes giving $25,000 from the city’s Economic Growth Fund to the Quincy Society of Fine Arts got the two extra votes it needed from the Quincy City Council on Monday night. After voting to permanently table the original resolution, aldermen voted 8-6 to approve a revamped resolution. Director of…
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QUINCY — A resolution to authorize giving $25,000 from the city’s Economic Growth Fund to the Quincy Society of Fine Arts didn’t get enough votes from the Quincy City Council on Tuesday night. However, the resolution will be back on the agenda for the Sept. 9 meeting. Six aldermen — Ken Hultz (R-3), Mike Farha…
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Mike Farha has been a Republican alderman representing Quincy’s 4th Ward for 26 years. For most of that time, he has been a reliable advocate for his constituents, whether it was commercial encroachment on residential neighborhoods or taking care of stop signs, streets or sidewalks. As he enters the twilight of his political tenure, he’s…
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QUINCY — The Quincy City Council approved a five-year contract for the Western Illinois Veterinary Clinic for $1,040,250 during Monday night’s meeting at the Quincy Regional Training Center after the issue had been tabled for one week. The WIVC will provide essential care, medical attention and the opportunity for adoption to lost, stray and abandoned animals. It…
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QUINCY — The Quincy City Council agreed to adopt a three-year agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1108 from May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2027. Quincy Mayor Mike Troup said the agreement calls for giving the transit union five percent increases in salary in each of the next three years. “That’s approved and…
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QUINCY — The Finance Committee sent two issues about what could be Quincy’s first roundabout to the full City Council to be debated next week. However, the debate got underway in earnest near the conclusion of Monday night’s City Council meeting. The city has been asked to commit $2.6 million to the roundabout project at…
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QUINCY — Director of Public Works Jeffrey Conte has two weeks to prepare different options to pay for $30 million worth of improvements to Quincy’s water system. The creation of an ordinance to increase water and sewer rates was on the agenda for Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting. The average monthly cost to the consumer…
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Local government was rather contentious in 2023. A reflection of the frustration many feel with the polarized politics in today’s world. A lack of consensus or willingness to achieve goals for the common good unfortunately seem to prevail. Anyway, here are the most read governmental stories of 2023, according to MRN Analytics. 1. A couple…
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QUINCY — Treasurer Linda Moore and Comptroller Sheri Ray have been working on tracking down money paid to the city’s third party administrator and money that had previously been unaccounted for. Moore and Ray went before the Quincy City Council Monday night ad reported the city has spent nearly $1.98 with Coalition Health since since…
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QUINCY — Quincy Mayor Mike Troup plans to provide aldermen at next week’s Quincy City Council meeting a financial accounting of insurance premiums paid to Coalition Health and claims reimbursed to city employees from Jan. 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023. Troup said after Monday’s meeting that City Treasurer Linda Moore, Comptroller Sheri Ray, Corporation…
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QUINCY — The Quincy City Council tabled a resolution during Monday’s meeting to buy secondary insurance from American Public Life for the last half of 2023. Aldermen requested more information from Quincy Mayor Mike Troup about the cost of the insurance before voting on it. However, several aldermen made it clear they no longer want…
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QUINCY — Saying “I’ve got nothing to hide,” Quincy Mayor Mike Troup announced a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in City Council chambers to discuss the healthcare plan for city employees. The Quincy City Council Meeting of the Whole is being called to present findings on the city’s healthcare relations with Coalition Health. A…
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QUINCY — A Quincy Police Department officer told the Quincy City Council on Monday night that employees have been lied to about the recent cancellation of secondary insurance. Inspector Patrick Hollensteiner said aldermen had learned in an email last week from Quincy Mayor Mike Troup that the city no longer has insurance through American Public…
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QUINCY — A resolution for the city to adopt a pledge of civility was tabled indefinitely during Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting after three of the 10 aldermen in attendance said they couldn’t support it. The resolution put forth said the Illinois Municipal League has adopted a civility pledge which states, “In the interest of…
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QUINCY — A debate about the use of the word “alderperson” punctuated the end of Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting. Greg Fletcher (R-1) asked Dunn why he is being referred to “Alderperson” Fletcher at times during recent meetings. “Can you enlighten me where this ‘alderperson’ crap is coming from?” he said. “I was elected two…
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QUINCY — The cost of legal expenses related to the investigation of a whistleblower complaint about the selection process of the chief of the Quincy Police Department was capped at $25,000 during Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting. Jeff Mays, director of administrative services, explained to aldermen that he’s the chief procurement approver for any…
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QUINCY — Both Greg Fletcher and Richie Reis know Monday’s vote regarding their confidence in Mike Troup as the mayor of Quincy is only symbolic. Regardless of the vote totals, Troup will still be the mayor at end of Monday’s meeting of the Quincy City Council. However, both aldermen believe their vote signifies something else.…
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QUINCY — The current and past president of the union representing Quincy’s police officers asked the Quincy City Council for a vote on its confidence in the leadership of Mayor Mike Troup. As that request fell on deaf ears, it was enough to lead Alderman Mike Farha (R-4th Ward) to walk out of Monday night’s…
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