2018/06/18 - Mayor's Column: State of the City 2018
“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
Last week, I had the privilege of giving the “State of the City” at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The event, which was well attended, is put on annually by the O’Fallon-Shiloh Chamber of Commerce. In the State of the City, I provided my thoughts on O’Fallon, gave a recap of what has been accomplished in the past year, and shared what we have planned for the future.
Even if you were not able to attend, you should still be informed of the state of your city: past, current and future. This week, I will discuss O’Fallon’s recent accomplishments, in the coming weeks, I’ll cover what plans we have for the future.
Over the past few years, O’Fallon has experienced a lot of change. A new medical campus has opened. Over 160 new homes, on average, were built each year. We have been ranked the 103rd best small city in America, and 30th best city in America for education and health. O’Fallon is one of the fastest growing communities in the St. Louis region, and is a highly attractive place to call home. We could just stop there…
But, I always say, if you are standing still, you are going to be passed. Therefore, we continue to press forward; working to make O’Fallon even better.
Here is a list of accomplishments that have occurred over the past few months:
• We reviewed the City’s organizational structure, policies and procedures, and made changes when appropriate through evolution, not revolution.
• Eliminated pensions for elected officials.
• Reduced the overall city budget by 8%.
• Reduced the number of non-public safety vehicles by 10%.
• Retired one Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District.
• Lowered expenses by $750,000.
• Negotiated three new labor agreements.
• Gathered input and set priorities on strategic planning.
• Set a new emphasis on infrastructure planning and replacement.
• Improved police staffing with the addition of three new officers.
• Added two new employees to the water department to make sure our water system is properly inspected and tested.
• Worked closer with other taxing bodies to help save tax payers money.
• Completed work at the Family Sports Park as part of Destination O’Fallon.
• Broke ground on “O’Fallon Station” and continued the resurgence of downtown O’Fallon.
• Froze water rates for one year; a $500,000 savings for our residents and water customers.
• Went out for bids for a new waste hauling contract, the first time in 15 years. And negotiated a rate that saved money for our residents, schools, and township.
I almost forgot to mention that we rolled back our City property tax levy to the lowest rate it has been since 2012.
These accomplishments were possible through partnership, and cooperation between the residents of O’Fallon, City staff and our elected officials.
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!