Tagged: Sal Garza

Mayor Sal Garza, Global Strategies Director Gary Camarano, and representatives from 10-12 of the region’s companies will take part in a trade mission to Indonesia.

Most of them will begin the trip on Monday, December 3. Garza will join them a day later after overseeing the December 3 city council meeting. Aldermen will be asked that night to approve the city’s 2013 budget.

Garza has a couple goals for the trip.

Aldermen have a couple weeks to decide whether to allow a proposed hotel development to proceed on North Seminary Street at Highway 34.

Mayor Sal Garza said there is a great deal for aldermen to consider. He said development of the four-story hotel would create jobs, generate revenue for local governments, and it could spur further economic development in that part of town.

The recently approved marijuana ordinance in Galesburg has gone up in smoke.

The law would have allowed police to issue a ticket to those caught possessing up to 2.5 grams of pot. Offenders could pay a fine instead of going to court.

But Mayor Sal Garza will veto the measure and is recommending changes he feels will improve it.

The mayor wants to start an education program for those under age 18 who are caught with small amounts of marijuana. He also wants to increase the fine to cover the cost of implementing the program.

Galesburg has acquired land adjacent to the current Soangetaha overpass. The move will allow the current bridge to remain open while its replacement is built.

The BNSF railroad owns the current bridge on East Main Street. It's between Galesburg and East Galesburg.

Mayor Sal Garza says it is at the end of its service. life.

He says, “That has gotten to a state where it's just limited in terms of the capacity of weight that is safe."

Galesburg Mayor Sal Garza is forming a 14-member task force to develop funding options for the city's pension funds.

“If it goes unchecked and unaddressed, we may find ourselves in the same kind of condition that the state of Illinois' overall pension system is in,” Garza said.

City leaders said the funding ratio has dropped over the past decade for the three pension funds in which the city participates. Garza said Galesburg will need to dip into its general revenues to pay pension obligations if something is not done.

Galesburg city council members approved a resolution in support of naming facilities, parks and streets in honor of notable women.

More than 50 women are listed in a document provided to aldermen. They are community organizers, athletes, artists, educators, and more from throughout Galesburg's 175 year history.

The document will be used when the city considers naming and renaming things.

Mayor Sal Garza said too few women have been recognized by the city.