The first day of summer brought with it a new Public Works Director for the City of Peoria. Mike Rogers has been the Assistant Director of Public Works in San Antonio, Texas and is a Michigan native. He says his priorities include transparency and strategic planning.
“When you look at the cost of services, gas prices are high, material prices are high and labor costs are going up. But our budgets aren’t necessarily going up at that same rate,” Rogers says. “So we have to look at strategic partnerships, how can we get these projects done as effectively as we have in the past without the those resources.”
Rogers has a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a Transportation concentration, and was named a Public works Leadership Fellow last year by the American Public works Association.
Rogers’ first day is July 15th. Interim Peoria Public Works director Jeff Smith will remain as assistant public works director through the end of July.