Trim, But Prepare for a More Vibrant Future, Local Mayors Say

Do what's necessary to balance community needs against available revenue, plan strategically (and regionally) and get ready for the upturn--that's the course Metro East mayors are pursuing to lead their cities through the current downturn.

The mayors of Alton, Collinsville and O'Fallon spoke this morning at an event co-sponsored by the Southwest Illinois Council of Mayors (SWICOM) and the Leadership Council Southwest Illinois as part of a panel discussion moderated by Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson. Despite a variety of city sizes and budgets, all four mayors are facing similar challenges and plan to meet them deploying--often--similar methods.

All four noted that the combined pressure of falling revenues and rising mandates--generally unfunded--from federal and state jurisdictions are requiring substantial changes in how their cities do business today compared with even a year of two in the past. All four are continuing to pursue economic development efforts despite a current paucity of proposed projects and all four cited the critical role of both incentives and "business friendly" policies in spurring economic growth.

Alton Mayor Tom Hoechst has had to oversee cuts in the number of city employees while struggling to meet payroll for the remaining workers. "In cashflow terms," he observed, "the City is broke" with only $2 million in reserves; fortunately, economic investments in "one of the premier marinas on the Mississippi" and a new amphitheater, as well as private investment in venues such as an anticipated new downtown hotel, promise new revenues as the recession eases.

Meanwhile, Collinsville Mayor John Miller is shaving costs through increased efficiencies. Instituting a City-wide improvement program to improve performance, restricting training to opportunities arranged in house, and freezing hiring have all contributed to the City's ability to keep its current positions that deliver expected services to citizens. Collinsville has an aggressive economic development program, a regional convention center and five-star hotel, and strategic location among its assets supporting future development.

In O'Fallon, Mayor Gary Graham is struggling to overcome the St. Clair County assessment system--which he claims is "broken"--and a lack of incentives for new development; nevertheless, he deploys the attitude that "we really want to have you here" to full benefit in attracting new businesses. O'Fallon today has more than 1000 hotel rooms as well as a new conference center, and the City is "sales tax rich," according to the mayor.

In summing up, Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson described how dealing with the ongoing fiscal crisis has helped him (and presumably other city leaders) distinguish more clearly between "wants" and "needs" in the budgeting process. He said that Columbia's fiscally conservative leadership over many years--avoiding the maximum carrying capacity for long-term debt, for instance--and well-managed initiatives like a successful Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district have given his City a firm foundation for growth. He anticipates that future growth will benefit from a more regional perspective coupled with strongly-supported local efforts like the Think Monroe County First! campaign.

It’s OK to Play in Columbia

Columbia has been recognized as one of 39 new communities across the nation to achieve the status of a “Playful City USA,” the non-profit organization KaBOOM! announced today. The city was one of three cited in Illinois and the only designee this year within the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Like other designees, such as Indianapolis and San Antonio, Columbia was selected for its dedication to play. Columbia used the Playful City USA application process to identify facilities, assess local resources, develop an action plan and create a citizen group—the Play Commission--to help direct activities. Excited about the opportunity to be nationally recognized, the Play Commission is using social network media such as Facebook and a blog to help gather public input and encourage involvement from the community.

“We’re excited about this prestigious designation and the serious work that the Play Commission is accomplishing to make our community a better place to live,” said Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson. Support from local government is a key element for winning the Playful City designation.

Each of the 2009 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to the cause of play in the areas of quantity, quality and access. Quality relates to the number of usable, open playspaces. Quality involves subjective factors that encourage repeated use and make playspaces engaging, exciting, interesting and fun. Access entails the ability to get to a playspace (roads, trails) and a lack of barriers to the playspace (cost, safety, traffic, locked gates, and equity).

“Our country is facing two monumental deficits: a lack of unstructured play among children and a lack of resources to address this very issue,” said Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! CEO and Co-founder. “Columbia took a stand and determined that the future of the community—its children—deserve a commitment to the cause of play. This is an investment in the future, and cities and towns across the country can replicate initiatives from this and other Playful City USA communities so that they too can bring play back into the lives of their children.”

KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,600 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers--a national network of individual advocates for play.

Columbia's Count is Up, But By How Much?

According to estimates released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau, Columbia's population steadily increased from 2000 census estimates, when 7,996 people called Columbia home, to the latest census estimate in which that number grew to 9,342--an increase of 16.8 percent.

The increase is good news for the community, since some regional and state funds are distributed based upon population. During the same time period, nearby municipalities such as Venice, Brooklyn, Fairmont City, East St. Louis, Washington Park and Granite City have all seen decreases, according to the new Census estimates. It's not an entirely accurate benchmark for Columbia, however, since a special census conducted for the city in 2007 pegged the local population at 9,818.

The estimated census numbers released by the Census Bureau do not include the numbers from any special census counts held by individuals cities, towns or villages and performed in collaboration with the federal government if only a portion of the city is counted or if the city has annexed land. That's the case with Columbia, so final figures from the 2010 count should show an even bigger increase.