Quincy City Council approves another $125,000 to incentivize people to move to Quincy

When the Quincy City Council first approved the Quincy Workforce Relocation Assistance Program (Q-WRAP) in August, Quincy Mayor Mike Troup said he hoped the program would be so successful that he would be back before the Council to ask for more funding.

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, the mayor asked and the aldermen answered. By an 8-4 vote, the Council voted to increase the program’s funding from $125,000 to $250,000.

Q-WRAP offers either a $5,000 property tax rebate if someone buys a house or $3,500 in rental assistance if they move to Quincy. The funding comes from the 1 percent increase in the city’s food and beverage tax that was approved by the City Council in November 2019, was backburnered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now being collected.

The Great River Economic Development Foundation is administering the program. So far, 27 applicants are scheduled to receive $102,000. They won’t get their money until they stay with their employer for a year, can verify employment and show receipts of rent or property tax payments.

No money has been given out and the first eligible person isn’t able to get reimbursed until August 2022.

According to GREDF President Kyle Moore, three have purchased homes in Quincy and 24 are renting.

The new residents are from:

• Illinois – 7: Two from Springfield, two from Carbondale and one from Arlington Heights, Chicago and Worden (in Madison County).
• Missouri – 6: Palmyra, St. Louis, Kahoka, Wentzville, O’Fallon and Hannibal.
• Colorado – 3
• Puerto Rico – 2
• Texas, Florida, New York, Nebraska, Washington, Ohio, New Hampshire, Arizona and Alabama – 1

And they are working at the following businesses:

• Knapheide – 5
• Blessing Health Systems – 4
• Titan International – 2
• Niemann Foods
• Steve Boling
• Cognitif
• Quincy University – 2
• Quincy Faith Assembly of God
• Hess Auto Agency
• Gardner Denver
• Booher Automotive
• Gusto
• Cape Air
• Quincy Medical Group
• Two Rivers Regional Council
• Kohl’s Wholesale
• SIU School of Medicine

Aldermen Greg Fletcher, R-1; Jeff Bergman, R-2; Mike Farha, R-4, and Tony Sassen, R-4, were the no votes.

Bergman told Muddy River News he didn’t support the concept when it was established.

In other action at Monday’s meeting, aldermen approved:

• Placing Aldermen Eric Entrup, R-1, and Jack Holtschlag, D-7, on the Ad Hoc Committee on re-districting the city’s wards based on 2020 Census data.
• Spending nearly $215,000 on road salt for the 2021/2022 snow and ice season. There is $240,000 budgeted for this for Fiscal Year 2022.
• Paying consultants from GovHR USA $21,600 to conduct a classification and compensation study for
  non-union city employees.
• Purchasing 29 ballistic vest packages off the State of Illinois Bid List from the Ray O’Herron Company of
  Danville, IL for a total cost of $23,780.00.
• Accepting the 2021 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Grant award in the amount of
  $109,043.49. This funding would provide mental health services for Quincy Police Department members for the next two years.

Aldermen Entrup and Mike Rein, R-5, were absent.