Mayor Bob Gallagher previews $113 million budget, police-station referendum push and major infrastructure projects for Bettendorf

Mayor Bob Gallagher used his State of the City address to lay out Bettendorf’s financial position, near-term capital projects and public-safety priorities, saying the city will hold the tax levy steady while pursuing a slate of street, sewer and development projects.

The mayor said the city’s proposed budget for the coming year is about $113,000,000 and “funds current service levels across all departments without a raise in the levy,” while the city remains “AA+” rated. He pointed to long-running financial awards for the finance team and said Bettendorf will continue to rely on reserves and targeted capital spending to pay for streets and sewers as growth continues.

Why it matters: the budget underpins plans for new infrastructure, a possible police-station referendum, and a commitment to keep six firefighters on payroll after a federal SAFER grant ends. Those actions affect city services, property taxpayers and development capacity as Bettendorf grows north and east.

Gallagher said the city is pressing ahead on…