Quincy City Council
QUINCY — After 27½ years with the Quincy Fire Department, including the last 3½ as chief, Bernie Vahlkamp has decided to retire effective Feb. 28. Vahlkamp, who replaced Joe Henning as chief in July 2021, announced his decision during Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting. He told Muddy River News on Monday morning he originally hoped…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Only one person spoke up when a public hearing concerning the city’s proposed property tax levy increase for the 2025 tax year was held during Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting. So Kelly Mays (R-3) took it upon herself to create discussion among the aldermen when they gave a first reading to an…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council approved Mayor Mike Troup’s appointment of Bill Lantz as the director of Quincy Regional Airport during its Monday meeting. Lantz informed the Aeronautics Committee at its Dec. 4 meeting that he had recently passed his ACE Airfield Operations Review Course and now is a registered member of the American Association…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council’s Finance Committee is leaning toward a property tax increase for the upcoming Dec. 23 levy vote that would keep the city from further draining its cash revenues. The Committee considered five options presented by the administration that included a variety of scenarios ranging from a property tax reduction up…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council passed an amended resolution during its Monday night meeting that could increase the Quincy Public Library’s levy request to 15 cents per $100 of equalized assessed value (EAV) and increase the aggregate property tax levy by 24.49 percent. That decision also means the City Council must have a public…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Aldermen learned during Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting that work on the outside of Quincy’s City Hall is near completion, and work on the inside of City Hall is about to get started. They approved invoices from Klingner and Associates totaling $73,246.78 for construction administration services for the City Hall renovations. Aldermen…
Read Full Article 
Republican candidates disagree on cause of City Council communication troubles during Tuesday debate
QUINCY — Both Republican candidates for mayor of Quincy agreed that a lack of communication is the Quincy City Council’s biggest problem. Exactly who creates that lack of communication was one of the more hotly contested topics of Tuesday night’s debate at First Baptist Church. Incumbent Mike Troup and challenger Dan Brink answered questions from…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council voted to approve electric aggregation for all electric accounts for city municipal departments and facilities, while also authorizing Mayor Mike Troup to enter into any contracts and execute any documents necessary to acquire the lowest electric rate. “This has nothing to do with the citizens of Quincy. It’s for…
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 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council approved an ordinance to create and establish boundaries for a River Edge Redevelopment Zone (RERZ) at their meeting Tuesday night, moving riverfront properties one step closer to restoration. The program incentivizes local developers with various tax credits, tax exemptions and tax abatements, such as new construction jobs credits and…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY – After months of debate by the public and waffling by some aldermen, the Quincy City Council came together Monday night to dump the issue of improvements to the intersection of 48th and State back into the lap of the Adams County Board. After all, Mayor Mike Troup said it was their road. “I’ve…
Read Full Article 
A couple of weeks ago, MRN published an excellent editorial regarding the on-again off-again roundabout project for 48th and State. The entire debacle was an example of our so-called community leadership reducing themselves to engaging in a political pissing contest with the county. It gave the appearance that the contest was a higher priority than public…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Filing closed Monday evening for Quincy’s 2025 municipal elections. Quincy is divided into seven wards with each represented by two aldermen, alternating every two years with one seat being available at a time. Citywide offices are also on the ballot. The candidates who filed for the Feb. 25, 2025 primary, if needed or,…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The majority of the 26 speakers at Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting didn’t want to talk about the “ridiculous roundabout” as one opponent called it, or the preservation of St. Boniface Church. Ten of the speakers wanted to advocate for better housing conditions for Quincy renters. Lisa Wigoda, a member of Quincy’s Safe…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council Monday night voted to grant St. Boniface Church, 641 Maine, landmark status. The 11-3 vote to support the effort included two aldermen who previously voted to deny the application: Mike Rein (R-5th Ward) and Jack Holtschlag (D-7th Ward). Holtschlag gave his reasons for the change of heart before he…
Read Full Article 
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…
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 — Maybe it won’t be as historic and memorable as the Thrilla in Manila (Google “Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier” if you’re not a heavyweight boxing fan), but the Debate at 48th and State certainly figures to be just as hotly contested next week if a third vote becomes necessary. One week after the Quincy City…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A Quincy company redeveloping a downtown building into mixed-use is requesting more than $300,000 in tax increment financing from the City of Quincy as part of its nearly $6.9 million redevelopment of a century-old building. The Finance Committee unanimously voted during its Monday night meeting to send the proposal to the full City…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Three people asked the Quincy City Council during its Tuesday meeting to approve giving landmark status to St. Boniface Church, but one alderman has already said the proposed ordinance likely won’t get his vote. Suzanne Irwin-Wells, Paul Geers and Janet Conover — all members of the Quincy Preservation Commission — made their pleas…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The issue of the roundabout about 48th and State still can’t find the right exit. After Adams County reached out to the City of Quincy with multiple options to transfer the property, the Quincy City Council on Monday tabled a resolution regarding a counteroffer to the County. Alderman Eric Entrup (R-1st Ward) said…
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 
