Unveiling a new “Magnificent Ten” task force for Rock Island, and purple-uniformed police officers are among 2026 goals for Mayor Ashley Harris.
In his first “State of the City” address, held Wednesday at Bally’s Quad Cities Casino and Hotel, the new mayor praised city accomplishments and addressed its challenges head on.
“I love the people here. I love its complexity. I love its contradictions, and I love its edge,” he said during the hour-long talk. “I love its generosity. And I'm deeply honored, truly honored, to serve as your mayor. So when factories close and the economy shifted, unemployment, opportunity narrowed, and people left. Some people left to find work elsewhere. Some left to keep from poverty. Some left, let's face it, to avoid living alongside people that look like me. We have lost over 16,000 residents since 1960. By the time I was born in the ‘80s, Rock Island was a city of decline and lost over 7,000 residents in the first decade of my life alone.
“What remained was aging infrastructure, shrinking resources, and communities made up of people who were too poor to leave, too stubborn, too quick, or too loyal to abandon this place,” Harris said, noting the population is still not growing, and many downtown buildings remain stubbornly vacant. “And Rock Island is a city of people who stayed. And people who stayed, they learned something important. They learned commitment. Now, here's the thing about history like this. It's not something we inherit to admire. It's something we inherit to steward. We don't get to live off the past with light paths. We're responsible for what we do. So the question for us today isn't just where we have been. It's what are we doing right now with what we've been given.”
Among the many accomplishments the city made in 2025, the $9-million downtown revitalization was completed, a new Saukie Golf Course golf simulator was added, and refurbishments made to tennis and basketball courts at Mel McKay Park, courtesy of a U.S. Tennis Association grant in honor of Rock Island native Madison Keys (2025 Australian Open champion).
After listing a myriad of positive things about the people, places, amenities, businesses, organizations, and services that make Rock Island great, Harris addressed many challenges.
“My commitment to community means telling the truth when things are hard. Our population has been stagnant for decades. The cost of providing services continues to rise. Property taxes are way, way too high,” he said. “We're facing deep financial responsibilities to our pension and general funds. Residents are frustrated with the quality of our roads. We want higher achievement in our schools. We want more businesses, more amenities, better housing, more economic opportunity. And I believe all of it is a reality we cannot ignore. One in five Rock Islanders are living in poverty – a higher rate than any city in my region. That's unacceptable, folks. This is my honest reality.”
“Commitment to community is not a slogan. It's a discipline. It's courage,” Harris said. “It's restraint when restraint is required and it's imagination when boldness is needed. I'm going to lay out my vision for recovery and growth. I see my city council squirming over there. They don't know what I'm about to say.”
“I've been learning, I've been listening, I've been taking it all in, only asserting myself on key issues. But today, today you're going to hear Mayor Ashley Harris’ plans for my city,” he said. “I want to clean this up quickly. When I say my plans, it's really your plans. I see my role in this, bringing the vision of Rock Island to life. You entrusted an Army veteran, a union guy, factory guy to lead this city. You took a risk on me because you wanted something different.”
“I want Rock island to be a place where people can come when they need affordability, to be loved, encouraged and supported in upward mobility,” Harris said.
He wants to see owners of vacant buildings penalized, so every six months that a building sits empty, their fees should increase.
“I want my staff to be actually actively researching how to address the lack of care and concern for Rock Island that some property owners show,” Harris said. “We will hold landlords accountable for safe, healthy living conditions, if you step up to the responsibility to provide housing for humans. You must take that responsibility seriously and we will help tenants understand laws on how to be good tenants as well. I want to be very clear on this issue. Being homeless is not a problem. Being poor is not an economic condition, not the entire definition of a person's life.”
“The solution is not to make poor people leave. It's to build a city where property is temporary and upward mobility is possible,” the mayor said. “I'm committed to it, supporting our small businesses and downtown residents to manage challenges that come with the unhoused population.”
“Housing requires a regional approach,” he said, noting the city is working in partnership with neighboring cities, nonprofits, businesses and residents.
“Rock Island is well-positioned to do this, because we have strong public and private schools, a growing healthcare education pipeline, nonprofit workforce support, employers who want reliable local talent and exceptional local union footprint with all the union guys,” Harris said.
A new “The Magnificent Ten”
Forming a new task force focused on economic development is what the mayor called his most important goal for this year. It will be comprised of Rock Islanders “who have the time and passion to be magnificent for our city,” and tap into their ideas, energy, resources and creativity to move the city forward, Harris said.
The task for 10 members will look at what’s working for the city, what challenges are and what can be improved, Harris said. They should not run from public comments and criticisms, he said.
“We need to get the right minds in the right places to make the right decisions,” the mayor said. For this effort, the city cannot afford to hire new staff or consultants for economic development. “That will not stop us from moving forward. That will not stop us at all. This Magnificent Ten will serve as a task force for economic development. They will have the full support and resources from the mayor’s office.”
“We’re looking for people who have the passion and the time to be magnificent,” Harris said. “I look forward to forming this task force.”
“I don’t want necessarily resume builders,” he said later of new members, noting he doesn’t have a timetable for recommendations for the group.
“I’m working on this immediately, however, we’re going to work at the speed of thoroughness,” Harris said. There won’t be a city staff liaison to the group, but led only by him.
“Being welcoming is economic development,” he said in his address. “We’ll ask our businesses, nonprofits and other leaders to welcome our young people into the workforce.”
Immigrants are vital to the community. “They are an engine of entrepreneurship, labor force renewal and economic vitality,” Harris said. “Building the capacity of our people is our core economic infrastructure. That’s very important.”
Prioritize projects that create jobs for Rock Islanders; activate unused spaces, and strengthen neighborhoods.
“Successful cities leverage public, private and nonprofit partnerships to spur creativity,” he said.
The city also will form a new “Purple Unit” within the Police Department. Harris said they are down about 10 officers, and encouraged people to apply to be a new officer. (You can apply at RIPoliceJobs.com, and other city jobs HERE).
The purpose of the purple unit is to have 3-4 officers on the streets with purple uniforms, focused on community service.
“When you see that Purple Unit officer coming up, you’ll know why he’s there. You know he’s there to help you and serve you,” the mayor said. “That will build more trust between the community and police.”
Harris noted the current national climate of law enforcement is polarizing. “This will be a step in the opposite direction,” he said.
Praising a man of commitment
Financial planner and educator Rashida Jamison of Rock Island introduced Mayor Harris as a man of commitment and integrity.
“That is one of the key things that I've grown to love about Ashley, is that he ensures that that type of impact is left between anybody that he meets. See, I'm a firm believer that iron sharpens iron,” she said. “Our partnership has been built on a shared commitment to excellence and to strengthen not just for the city we both love, but also for the people that reside in it. See, if I come into your life, I am a firm believer that I should leave it better than I found it. Don't you agree? Absolutely.”
Jamison recalled Harris told her before seeking the elected office last year, “My city is sick, and I feel like I have to doctor on it. I can't see it fail, and I have to be the change that I want to see,” she said. “I knew what he was saying before he ever even said it. That is when Ashley made the decision he was going to run for mayor. It was never about the position. It was never about the title. It was more about taking responsibility, which is something a lot of people don't do because they'll say and they'll point out the things that need to change. But how many people are willing to do the work?”
“Mayor Harris, something that I've learned, he believes government should work for the people, not the other way around,” Jamison said. “His leadership does not lead for optics or applause. You can see that, but it does lead for structural change. So this afternoon, as we discussed the state of our city, this moment requires honesty about where we are. It's also about discipline about where we're going. It requires leadership willing to do the hard work, often unseen from financial systems, infrastructure change, homelessness, transparency, Mayor Harris, something I've learned. He builds coalitions, he trusts experts, and he understands that sustainable progress only happens when the right people are empowered to do the right work. This is the definition of people first.”
You can see the entire State of the City address on the city of Rock Island’s YouTube channel HERE.
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