Peoria Council adopts 2025 joint legislative agenda, adds warehouse parking and regional mental‑health request

The Peoria City Council on Tuesday adopted the city and county’s 2025 joint legislative agenda, approving a package of state requests that include pension changes, housing incentives, public‑safety proposals and several capital funding priorities.

City Manager Patrick Ulrich presented the packet to the council, outlining direct sponsorship requests (items the city is asking legislators to introduce) and other advocacy positions. "As you know, it's that time of year again when we put together our, annual wish list for our, state legislative delegation," Ulrich said while describing requests ranging from public‑safety pension amortization to housing incentives for households earning roughly 80–140% of area median income.

Key elements in the packet include:

- Public‑safety pension reform to extend the amortization period for police and fire pensions. - A request that the local delegation oppose bills that would roll back “tier 2” retirement designations for public employees, which staff said would increase municipal fiscal costs. - Proposals to encourage “missing middle” housing: a homeownership tax credit for middle‑income buyers; a tax credit to stimulate multi‑unit rental construction; and enhanced state support for the local land bank to ready properties for housing. - Public‑safety amendments (possible statutory changes to the SAFE‑T Act), including proposals to increase penalties or mandatory detention for certain repeat violent offenses if a trailer bill is introduced at the state level. - Authorization requests for automated traffic‑law enforcement (red‑light and speed cameras) and funding requests for capital projects: $25 million for Main Street improvements, $15 million for riverfront work, $3 million for McArthur Avenue and $3 million for Pioneer Parkway, plus requests for Pioneer Parkway, Laramie Avenue, and Springdale Cemetery road network improvements.

During discussion council members added two items to be included on the legislative list to be shared with the delegation: a request to study or fund a parking structure in the warehouse district, and language asking the legislature to consider reestablishing regional mental‑health center capacity (a state facility like the prior Zeller center that served a broader region). Council Member Euler moved approval of the list with the warehouse district parking addition; the motion was seconded and the council approved the agenda unanimously.

Council debate included a range of views on the public‑safety proposals. Council Member Grama described rising property crime and urged stronger detention options for repeat offenders; Council Member Vespa, a former public defender, cautioned against mandatory detention rules that might penalize people with distant prior convictions and urged case‑by‑case judicial discretion. Multiple members also stressed opposition to state preemption of home‑rule powers; staff and several council members asked the delegation to resist bills that would remove municipal authority.

A few members also asked for the legislative packet to reflect ongoing infrastructure and safety needs: a $2.5 million street‑lighting grant effort (working with Ameren) and a newly requested state contribution to pedestrian and vehicle barriers at large‑crowd venues.

What’s next

The council’s legislative breakfast is scheduled for the next morning; staff said the city, county and health department will present a combined program to the delegation. Council members said additions to the packet do not bind individual members to every item — they described the packet as a broad advocacy list to inform state lawmakers. Several members requested continued council updates as the legislature acts on individual bills.

Ending

The council directed staff to forward the adopted legislative agenda to the city and county delegation and to monitor specific bills, particularly those affecting home‑rule authority, public‑safety statutes and housing incentives.