Peoria Mayor Rita Ali says the city’s proposed budget puts needed money toward road repairs, while she remains cautious about allowing cannabis dispensaries to offer drive-through service. In a WCBU interview, Ali also discussed proposed enforcement tools for chronic nuisance properties and the possibility of a police substation on the South Side.
Key takeaways
- The city’s recommended $348 million revised biennial budget for 2027 includes more than $80 million for capital projects and funding for nine major road projects.
- Ali is wary of changing local cannabis rules to allow drive-through service, citing uncertainty and the absence of current police complaints.
- She supports stronger city intervention at residential properties with repeated qualifying criminal activity or code violations.
- Ali says a South Side police location would need a clear justification, noting that officers are already close by.
Road work is a major budget priority
Ali said infrastructure investment aligns with the city’s strategic plan and addresses a frequent source of resident complaints. The proposed budget includes $5 million for Sheridan Road, $4.6 million for Wisconsin Avenue and $2.3 million to begin a two-year project on Main Street between the riverfront and Bradley University.
The Main Street work would mill and overlay the driving lanes to provide a smoother surface in the near term. Ali characterized it as a temporary measure while the city awaits $25 million in state funding intended to revitalize the corridor.
Ali questions drive-through cannabis service
Peoria is considering updates to its rules after Illinois permitted cannabis dispensaries to offer drive-through service and operate until as late as 2 a.m. The city has a limit of six dispensary licenses, with four currently in use. The proposed local changes would not extend the existing 10 p.m. closing time.
Ali said she is hesitant to allow drive-through service, despite the potential for greater customer privacy. She noted that the city has not had police complaints or activity involving dispensaries and said she does not want to introduce avoidable problems through changes to the rules.
Nuisance-property proposal remains under discussion
The City Council has twice delayed a vote to receive and file proposed code updates aimed at chronic nuisance properties. Under the legal department’s proposal, residential properties with three qualifying criminal activities or code violations within 12 months could face city intervention. The proposal would count incidents anywhere on a property, including those involving trespassers as well as tenants.
Ali supports giving the city more tools to address properties where owners fail to maintain housing or comply with city rules. The Peoria Area Association of Realtors has objected, arguing the approach could go too far in penalizing landlords. Ali said discussions have not produced a compromise and that a decision may come next month.
South Side substation would need justification
The council agreed to advance plans for a police substation alongside an Advanced Medical Transport ambulance facility on Peoria’s North Side. Ali said the partnership makes that location possible and that the substation is primarily intended to address operational needs: officers can take about 20 minutes to travel from the area to downtown headquarters.
Responding to a council member’s call for a similar location on the South Side, Ali said she is open to considering it but wants a clear rationale. She said the South Side is about a mile from downtown headquarters and that police are typically nearby, so a proposal would need to demonstrate a distinct public-safety or operational need.
