Mike Rein
QUINCY — Republican 5th Ward Alderman Mike Rein said he’s hearing no complaints as he goes door-to-door leading up to next Tuesday’s primary election where he faces a challenge from buisnesswoman Laura McReynolds. “They’re telling me they’re voting for me. They tell me that I’ve done a good job, and they want me to stay…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Director of Administrative Services Jeff Mays promises he’ll have a brief presentation for the Feb. 18 meeting of the Quincy City Council that goes into the history of the state grocery tax, what kind of revenues the city has received from it and what kind of revenue impacts it may have if the…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Finance Committee voted Monday night to send to the Quincy City Council a proposal — with no recommendation — to implement a locally-imposed 1 percent grocery sales tax by ordinance. The state of Illinois passed Public Act 103-0781, which repeals the statewide tax on groceries beginning Jan. 1, 2026. If municipalities want…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Comptroller Sheri Ray asked the five members of the Finance Committee for guidance during their meeting before the Quincy City Council meeting. Ray ran out of time before she received an answer. Ray asked for a motion or direction from the committee to show support for a Truth in Taxation resolution and hearing,…
Read Full Article 
Dear MRN: I was watching the Quincy City Council meeting on Monday night when the discussion about the roundabout came up. Alderman (Jeff) Bergman (R-2) can’t make the motion to put the issue back on the agenda. It takes a member who voted in favor of it to bring it up. Can you check on…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Mike Rein’s dalliance with the idea of running for mayor lasted about a week. Rein, an alderman in Quincy’s 5th Ward, recently pulled petitions to run for re-election as alderman, but he also pulled petitions to run for mayor. He had to choose between which office he wanted to run for by Oct. 28.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Two GOP mayoral candidates turned in petitions at the beginning of the filing period Monday morning at Quincy City Hall. Brink was first in line with 740 signatures on his petitions. Troup was third in line behind former City Clerk Janet Hutmacher, who was turning in the petitions for City Clerk Laura Oakman.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Despite a passionate plea from a retired city engineer to reconsider building a roundabout, the Finance Committee agreed Monday night to send to the full Quincy City Council a recommendation for the transfer of jurisdiction for the intersection of 48th and State. Aldermen voted on April 1 not to contribute $2.6 million to build…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article 
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.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council defeated by a 7-6 vote on Monday night a resolution that would have used money from the city’s water fund to pay for razing an inoperative sludge pump station south of Clat Adams Bicentennial Park and returned a $350,000 grant to the Quincy Riverfront Development Corporation. Aldermen approved a low…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Aldermen voted during Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting to have an ordinance drafted to place a referendum on the April 2025 ballot that would pose the question of whether the city should continue electrical aggregation. Alderman Ben Uzelac (D-7) asked Corporation Counsel Bruce Alford near the end of Monday’s meeting how much time…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Former Quincy Mayor Chuck Scholz explained some of the plans the Adams County Bicentennial Commission has for next year during Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting at City Hall. Aldermen voted 13-1 to approve a disbursement of $30,000 from the city’s Economic Growth Fund to help support the commission’s efforts to mark the 200th anniversary of…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Corporation Counsel Bruce Alford told the Finance Committee during its Monday meeting at the Quincy Public Library that Adams County wants the City of Quincy to take jurisdiction of the intersection of 48thand State after aldermen voted on April 1 not to contribute $2.6 million to build a roundabout at the intersection. “That’s going…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council approved an ordinance approving a tax increment financing plan on Quincy’s south side, but not without a couple of tweaks, during Monday night’s meeting. Four weeks after the vote was tabled, aldermen voted 8-6 to create the city’s third designated TIF zone. TIF districts dedicate a portion of tax…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council voted 9-5 on Monday night not to enter into an agreement with Adams County to build a roundabout at the intersection of 48th and State. Moments after the conclusion of the meeting, Kent Snider knew what the Adams County Board’s next move would be when it meets April 9. “Hand…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Finance Committee voted on Monday night to send a proposal to the full Quincy City Council that calls for an increase in the amount of subsidy funding to the Quincy Public Library next year. Kathleen Helsabeck, executive director of the library, made a presentation during Monday’s meeting, which was attended by all…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY – As the Quincy City Council voted 9-4 to approve spending up to $40,000 to study the possibility of establishing a new tax increment financing (TIF) district in the State and Eighth/Calftown/Dick Brothers Brewery area, aldermen didn’t really seem excited about expanding TIF in the city. Some of the discussion at Monday night’s meeting…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Two flipped votes turned a potentially contentious debate over the city’s budget into much ado about nothing. Richie Reis and Patty Maples, Democratic aldermen in Quincy’s 6th Ward, were among seven aldermen at Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting who voted not to approve a $50.29 million budget for the 2024 fiscal year. However, at a…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The purchase of the City Hall Annex building by the Quincy Township inched closer to a conclusion Monday night. Quincy Mayor Mike Troup then proposed spending township money to help solve some of the city’s housing issues. Before the weekly Quincy City Council meeting, aldermen first handled business as the Quincy Township board.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A $7.5 million plan to build 34 two-story residential townhomes and a community building received assistance from the Quincy City Council on Monday night. HW Ventures, LLC, a corporation owned by Quincyans Justin Wollbrink and Jerry Holtschlag, asked for financial incentives from the city for this development at 203 S. Eighth and 218-224…
Read Full Article 
