Quincy City Council
QUINCY — The Quincy City Council is expected to vote at its Jan. 13 meeting to approve an ordinance to amend the 2024-25 Fiscal Year budget that includes a proposal to decrease personal property replacement tax (PPRT) revenues by $2 million and decrease General Fund expenditures by $2 million. Comptroller Sheri Ray sent an email…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Police Department is asking the Quincy City Council to approve a proposed ordinance that allows officers to impound and tow motor vehicles for multiple violations at the owner’s expense, with a $200 administrative fee to be required before the vehicle is released. Adam Yates, chief of the Quincy Police Department, explained…
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QUINCY — The Quincy City Council approved an $8.44 million tax levy Monday night that is expected to raise the city’s portion of a person’s property tax bill by $22 if they own a $150,000 home. The city’s total property tax levy, which included debt service for three outstanding bonds, rose 13.85 percent. The city…
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QUINCY — People who want to watch Quincy City Council meetings on Monday night will soon have another way to do so. Aldermen approved a proposal from Granicus of Denver, Colo, for a five-year contract for $126,655.05 for the Peak Agenda Management and GovMeetings Live Cast platforms. City Clerk Laura Oakman said the Granicus program will allow…
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QUINCY — Chuck Bevelheimer worked with four mayors, hundreds of employees and thousands of citizens during his 30-year career as the director of planning and development for the City of Quincy. When announcing his plans to retire at the end of the month, Bevelheimer said the number of potential headaches in his job were reduced…
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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 — Once a month, the Quincy City Council gets an update on revenue collected by the city’s sales tax and home rule sales tax. The addition of Target to Quincy’s retail landscape in August 2023 was expected to give a boost to those numbers, but in comparing receipts from 2023 to 2024, the jury…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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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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…
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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.…
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