Supporting Those Who Made Hard Choices

Peoria, IL | September 9, 2020 - The business community thanks Denis Cyr, John Kelly, Zach Oyler, Sid Ruckriegel, Tim Riggenbach, and Mayor Jim Ardis for voting to not increase property taxes.

Last week the City Council voted 6-5 to cut spending and address the chronic budget deficits our City has experienced. The BizPAC appreciates those Councilmembers that upheld their promises to not increase taxes. Peorians pay enough taxes. We all know we have a spending problem and NOT a revenue problem at City Hall yet five Council Members cast votes that would have led to a further increase in property taxes.

Denis Cyr, John Kelly, Zach Oyler, Sid Ruckriegel, Tim Riggenbach, and Mayor Jim Ardis had the political courage to make the right call and not force a tax increase on Peoria taxpayers and businesses. It is not right to take money from the median average Peorian household that makes $46,000/year to pay city employees that regularly make six figure salaries and earn pensions that are 80% of their final salary for life. Our public safety employees do GREAT WORK for the City and they are reimbursed accordingly. In fact, many city employees will retire as millionaires! We CANNOT take from the average Peorian, who doesn’t retire with a pension and makes less than half what employees in public safety make, in order to fund people earning six figures!

Many Peorians are struggling right now. Covid-19 has shut down so many of our employers leaving many people without jobs or with reduced hours. Similarly, businesses are struggling due to mandatory government imposed shutdowns and increased costs of doing business as the result of the Coronavirus. During these times, businesses and families have had to analyze their expenditures, make sacrifices, and reduce spending. Fact is, we have a shrinking city that is trying to support an inflated infrastructure that is larger than we can afford to support. Denis Cyr, John Kelly, Zach Oyler, Sid Ruckriegel, Tim Riggenbach, and Mayor Jim Ardis used common business sense and compassion for Peorians on reduced incomes to make the right choice for our community.

Peoria will be better positioned now to come out of this global pandemic due to the actions of these pro-business Council Members. The BizPAC has studied the City budget over several years and there are no easy choices. The State of Illinois desperately needs pension reform to help out cities like Peoria. Until that happens, we need to tighten our belts and stop taxing people out of Peoria. A slim majority of the Council last week said enough is enough when it comes to new taxes. We are proud that Denis Cyr, John Kelly, Zach Oyler, Sid Ruckriegel, Tim Riggenbach, and Mayor Jim Ardis stood up for the Peoria taxpayers and businesses.

Thank you Councilmembers!

VIEW CITY COUNCIL VOTING RECORD