Kewanee Mayor and City Manager Remain Positive after Road Tax Referendum Fails at the Polls

A 21-vote difference sealed the fate of roads in Kewanee on Tuesday during the Primary Election.  The City of Kewanee will continue the current road plan using the $600,000 they receive from the motor fuel tax each year.  Mayor Gary Moore said, “It was very unfortunate and disappointing the tax referendum came up short. It was a very real possibility to bring our streets into top condition.”  City Manager Gary Bradley said, “We’re going to look at the results and the sentiment of the voters and use those to help shape how we provide service delivery.  We’ve got a lot of things going on right now and major street improvements just won’t be one of them.” The tax referendum would have added one-half of a percent to the current sales tax rate in Kewanee and could have added approximately $800,000 each year for road work.  The city intended to issue bonds to allow work to be performed upfront and then pay off the bonds with the sales tax. Mayor Gary Moore said, “At this time I am not sure how we are going to keep up with the necessary repairs, but we will not stop researching for ways to better our roads. Kewanee is worth the effort.” The recently purchased hot box allows city crews to work on filling potholes longer and make fewer trips to get more mix because the hot mix asphalt remains at the necessary temperature longer.  Gary Bradley said, “We’re going to have to focus our efforts on doing what we can with what little we have, and we’ll find a way to turn this into a positive.” Mayor Gary Moore will give his first State of the City address tonight on RegionalMediaNews.com 100.1 FM and 1450 AM, also live on Facebook here.