No Parking from 6am to 6pm Tuesday, September 1st

There will be No Parking allowed on the following streets from:

Tuesday September 1st from 6am to 6pm

Monroe Ave. from War Memorial to Lake

Hines Ave. from Prospect to Boulevard

Rouse Ave. from Prospect to Monroe

Frances from Willard to Ogden

All of Willard

All of Roberts

All of Rosalind

All of Conn Court

All of Roberts Court

This work should be completed on Tuesday

Once the work is done and all crews are off of your street it is ok to drive on and resume regular parking.

Thank you for your cooperation

Wanted: More residents, and the Heights will make it worth their while

In the context of decades-long population loss, the Village of Peoria Heights is looking to incentivize new home construction by getting into the home-building business itself, selling the finished product, and giving the new homeowners 10 years of substantial property tax relief.

The Village could take advantage of a two-year-old state law, the Special Homestead Exemption for Certain Municipality-Built Homes (Public Act 103-0793), which passed in 2024 by a vote of 106-1 in the Illinois House and unanimously in the Illinois Senate. The Peoria County Board recently adopted the measure for all municipalities in the county at the request of Heights Mayor Matt Wigginton.

The measure authorizes a new property tax exemption to homeowners that would halve the taxable value of their homes for the first eight years of ownership, and reduce it by a third for the two years after that. It would apply to new home construction only on Village-owned property, which amounts to some 43 parcels now, with about 15 viewed as ripe for residential investment. The new owners would have to live there to receive the tax benefit, and they could not “stack” it with other tax reduction programs. If they were to turn around and sell the property themselves within that 10-year window, the tax break would not be transferrable.

“We build it, then we sell it,” with the tax break following the transfer of ownership, explained Wigginton.

This effort comes amidst concerns that the Heights could drop below 5,000 people come the next Census in 2030, which would have significant consequences including the forfeiture of local representation on regional boards such as the Airport Authority and CityLink. Meanwhile, federal tax dollars coming to the community are directly tied to Census counts.

The Village’s population has dwindled steadily since 1970, when nearly 8,000 residents called the Heights home. The primary cause of that exodus was the closure of the Pabst Brewery in the early 1980s. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the Heights is landlocked, meaning the Village’s boundaries cannot grow and there is little land available for residential development. Finally, the Village suffers from a lack of new and family-friendly housing stock. Rental properties have jumped.

All of that has contributed to the school district’s struggle with enrollment, as well. Peoria Heights High School is down to about 200 students.

As a result, local leaders have voiced a sense of urgency about doing what they can to reverse those trends.

“It’s a tool in our tool box,” said Wigginton. “It doesn’t have to be utilized, but it gives us the option to use that arrow in our quiver.”

If there is a downside, it would be a loss of short-term tax revenue to local governments. Nonetheless, the mayor sees it as worth the risk.

“These vacant lots are creating zero in tax revenue now because we own it,” said Wigginton. “Even 50 percent is better than zero.”

Village trustees seemed generally receptive to the idea but have not taken a vote. Expect further discussion and/or action on this issue in the coming months.

“It’s not many times that Springfield gives us the opportunity to lower our taxes,” said Wigginton. “So when we’re given that opportunity, we need to grab it with both hands and take advantage of it.”

Heights to host its America250 celebration in August

The Village of Peoria Heights will play its part in the America250 celebration with a full day of events on Saturday, Aug. 22 at Tower Park. Mark your calendars now.

The inaugural Great Heights Jamboree will feature recognition of America’s military members, live music, tasty food and drink including what promises to be a very entertaining hot dog eating contest, and no end of children’s activities.

The festivities begin at noon with opening remarks from Peoria Heights Mayor Matt Wigginton, followed by a military recognition ceremony, an Honor Guard presentation and the Armed Forces Hymn. Another military tribute will cap the evening at 8:45 p.m.

The music kicks off at 1 p.m. with Americana and traditional tunes from the Central Illinois Banjo Club, including a special performance by Larry and Shirley Hackman with a patriotic dance to banjo music. The New Cats Bluegrass Trio takes the stage at 2:15 p.m. It will pick back up at 5 p.m. with Brainchild, an assembly of Heights musicians playing rock, blues and funk. Roy Ponce will perform the Star-Spangled Banner. At 7 p.m., The Damned Torpedoes will fill the Heights night with the Tom Petty Experience. Finally, the Kris Lager Band will be in from Omaha, Nebraska with its take on pop and R&B music at 9 p.m. Dancers are most welcome.

One big highlight of the day will be Frank’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, with local restaurateurs Frank and Noah Abdnour overseeing this gastronomical wonder. It starts at 4:45 p.m.

Local taste buds will be satisfied and then some with multiple food vendors and a beer tent on site. Richwoods Township will be providing free popcorn and all kinds of patriotic giveaways.

Abraham Lincoln impersonator Rick Otey will be emancipated for the day and roaming the grounds.

You won’t be able to get the kids back home without a fight, as there will be multiple activities for them throughout the day including a bounce house, balloon artist, face painting, free Tower rides and more. Free carriage rides by Ted Tarvin also are on the agenda. Family-friendly is always the name of the game in Peoria Heights.

The event is made possible by the Village of Peoria Heights, other partners and sponsors, and a small army of volunteers. All in all, it promises to be an unforgettable moment, befitting the nation’s 250th birthday.

“We really do invite people from throughout central Illinois to come celebrate the nation’s founding with us,” said Wigginton. “There is no more uplifting and inspiring origins story in the world, and no human experiment in self-governance quite like it. And Peoria Heights, in its own unique way, is a small but integral part of that American story. We hope to do it justice with our party. I think the Founders would be both amused and proud that we’re still able to gather and have fun in their names, 250 years later.”