Earlier this month, Rock Island officials traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with state representatives, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Thoms says this trip was a way to start talking about getting federal help for city projects.
"Sometimes the smaller cities, in downstate from Chicago, get forgotten about or they aren't familiar with a lot of the issues so we wanted to educate them, inform them on the needs we had, and make sure they understood the city of Rock Island."
He hopes to receive funding to fix 11th Street.
"From Blackhawk Road down to 31st Avenue, total resonstruction. New sidewalks, narrowing the road down, streetlights, the whole works. So it's ADA compliant, easier for the kids to get to school."
The city also asked for funding for housing rehabilitation, and electric pumps to use during flooding. In March, Thoms and members of the Quad Cities Chamber will travel to Washington D.C. to continue the conversation.