2015/12/28 - Walter's Blog: Best of O'Fallon 2015

Best of O’Fallon 2015

As we come to the end of another year, it is common to see “Best of” lists in newspapers, magazines, and web sites. I am not too proud to jump on the bandwagon, so here is my “Best of the City of O’Fallon 2015” (not necessarily ranked in priority order).

Quality of Life

O’Fallon is a great place to live. I am biased, of course, but there are several objective observers who agree. In an assessment of 68 US Air Force Bases, the Air Force Times ranked Scott Air Force Base as the top place to live in the country. In addition, the communities surrounding Scott Air Force Base (including O’Fallon) won the Abilene Trophy for the second time in three years, which is presented annually to the community that provides the finest support to an Air Mobility Command unit.

NerdWallet ranked O’Fallon as the number two community in Illinois for young families, saying that “After the expansion of I-64 in the mid-nineties, the city's growth accelerated and now 50% of homes available in O'Fallon are less than 15 years old and relatively inexpensive compared to home costs closer to St. Louis. The city perennially prides itself on great parks, libraries, and schools.” WalletHub recently ranked O’Fallon as the 103rd overall best small city in America and 30th in education and health out of 1,268 cities with a population between 25,000 and 100,000.

O’Fallon schools and parks are also key features to our community. The Madison-Illini Bike Trail Connector was recognized as the 2015 Illinois American Public Works Association (APWA) Project of the Year. More than 400,000 people used the Family Sports Park this year. Over 130 new homes were built in O’Fallon this year, continuing our long trend as an attractive community where people want to live, work, and play

Economic Development

The City of O’Fallon has been aggressive to create destinations that will attract further business investment. Here are some of the major economic development projects underway in 2015:

  • St. Elizabeth’s Medical Campus: The $300 million construction project will be an economic driver in the region for many years. The hospital broke ground this year and is expected to open fall 2017.
  • Plocher Office Building: This five-story office building is located adjacent to the St. Elizabeth’s Medical Campus and will provide a striking skyline at the I-64/Green Mount Road interchange.
  • Gander Mountain: The sporting goods store opened over the summer to rave reviews and fills an unmet retail niche in the region.
  • Fezziwigs: The specialty tea and gourmet goods store continued the recent renaissance of high-class businesses opening in historic downtown O’Fallon.
  • McKendree Metro Rec Plex: Two ice rinks and an aquatic center are under construction on East Hwy. 50. The facility will host McKendree University athletic events and also will be open for public use. The project is expected to be complete in summer/fall 2016.
  • CarMax: The national used car dealership is under construction and should open spring 2016.
  • Central City TIF: Tax incentives were approved to stimulate economic redevelopment in historic downtown O’Fallon and Southview Plaza.
  • Colonnade Senior Living Center expansion: The center opened in 2013 but has been so popular that they are already expanding.

Public Infrastructure

2015 was another busy year for public improvements. Here are some highlights:

  • Venita Fire Department Headquarters and EMS Station: Opening in 2015, this new station provides much needed coverage on the west side of town and assists in keeping our ISO rating low resulting in lower home insurance rates.
  • Venita Railroad Overpass: This project was 15 years in the making and was completed in 2015 with the assistance of a state grant and contributions from CSX Railroad. Although the rail line is currently out of service, the future of the railroad is unknown.
  • Milburn School Road reconstruction: We received a state grant for the project and the road received new pavement, curbs and gutters from Old Collinsville Road. Due to property acquisition difficulties, the remainder of the road was delayed for construction until 2016.
  • Library remodeling: A recent study concluded the O’Fallon Public Library is undersized for a community of our size, so a major remodeling project is underway to achieve greater functionality and enhanced customer experience. Improvements should be complete in January 2016.

Budget

Budget challenges continued to be the rule for 2015. A recent Illinois Municipal League report showed that the City of O’Fallon operates very efficiently compared to other Illinois cities: we are below the state average in both tax revenues collected per capita and expenses per capita. Tax revenues have been stable for the past two years, but the state government’s insolvency casts a dark cloud over the City’s budget. There are many proposals in the state legislature, but it is impossible to know what will be done (if anything). Amid this uncertainty, we will continue to be conservative in our budgeting.

2016 looks to be another challenging year, but we will continue to focus on proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars and to provide high quality services to O’Fallon residents. The state government still has not approved a budget and we are uncertain what impact that will have on local governments. However, we live in an attractive and safe community with great neighborhoods, schools, and parks. And regardless of our budget situation, we will continue to work hard to provide exceptional services to our residents and to maintain O’Fallon’s superior quality of life.