The Peoria City Council talked road funding as a special policy meeting last night. It would cost $11 million a year for five years to bring roads up to recommended standards. Increasing the city’s gas tax and creating a storm water utility fee could to free up money to pay for road repairs. Councilman Chuck Grayeb says the city needs to find out the price-tag of mandated sewer upgrades before asking residents for more money:
“If we go to them and we say well, we need this much and we need that much, and not tell them what the whole story is, I think we’re asking for trouble.”
City Manager Patrick Urich says the special meeting was meant to give council the most recent information before making significant budget decisions in the coming months.
The City hopes to firm up combined-sewer-overflow costs from the EPA later this year. Councilmembers also want to compare how similar-sized cities are tackling road funding challenges.