Financially, 2014 was a good year for Moline. That was the message today, Feb. 9, from Mayor Scott Raes and other city officials, during the annual state of the city address to members of the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs.
Raes says his city is financially stable, with a balanced budget and a 90-day operating reserve. Funding police and firefighters pensions is one of the biggest challenges, but there's currently more than 61 million dollars in assets.
And City Administrator, Lew Steinbrecher talked about one of the biggest upcoming projects: a new Amtrak station including a hotel, for passengers traveling to and from Chicago. Work on the 95-room hotel will begin in April.
He also says construction on the new I-74 bridge should begin in two years, but up to 300 million dollars of additional federal funding is still needed.
Some other major achievements last year, according to Mayor Raes, include the completion of Phase 2 of Western Illinois University's new river-front campus, renovations to SouthPark Mall, and the opening of new housing.