Rita Ali prepares for a second term as Peoria’s mayor
PEORIA (25News Now) - Peoria’s Mayor Rita Ali was re-elected Tuesday, so 25News sat down with her to get a more detailed look at her plans for a second term.
Mayor Ali’s second term will officially start on May 6, when she and the next iteration of the city council will be inaugurated.
Friday morning, she met with the team trying to bring passenger rail to the River City. The first step of the project is effectively complete and funded. The second step will require 90% federal spending and 10% local spending.
Ali says the local money is ready to go. Although President Donald Trump’s administration has spent weeks reshaping the federal government, Ali hopes the train project will still get national funding, calling it “bipartisan” at all levels of government.
The money the city is seeking from the Department of Housing and Urban Development might be harder to get.
“We’re trying to get more money for housing. We have a housing crisis that we’re trying to address. But HUD funding has kind of paused. So, we’re hoping in the next few months that things will begin to open up with the federal funding,” Ali said.
The mayor said the current homeless motel shelter is a temporary situation, and it’s possible that people might eventually end up back on the street. She is working with her team and with local partners to try to find places for as many people as possible.
Other plans include Adams and Jefferson becoming two-way streets, and development projects are proposed for Main Street and the Riverfront.
To encourage more business in Peoria, Ali wants to change the conversation about the city.
“I want people to stop saying such terrible things about our city because it’s such a great city, and it’s becoming more livable every day. You know, I think as far as businesses, they look at the climate, they look at if people enjoy living there,” she said.
Now that Ali has been reelected, she is in the process of responding to requests for appearances and speeches that will be on her calendar after the inauguration.
Ali has been mayor since 2021. She thanked the voters, saying it’s the opportunity of a lifetime to serve her community.
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