The Cities | Mayor Elect Robert Gallaher of Bettendorf & Dr. Michael Oberhaus Achieve Q.C. | WQPT

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victor day foundation
bettendorf has a new mayor rockie high has a new push to keep students in school and making sure santa gets to the seniors
in the cities
this week voters went to the polls an elected a new mayor in bettendorf
attorney robert gallaher junior won a three-way race that
once the votes were counted wasn't even close
gallaher almost three quarters of the vote
what is such a mandate mean
let's find out
joining me now is the mayor elect
of the city of bettendorf
bob gallaher how are you doing sir congratulations thanks jim yet we got a
look at this seventy-four design of the vote with a three-way race
that's an incredible ability to attract some votes
we're very lucky to have
very strong support for all sectors of the community
we had individual contributions for over two hundred people
overthrew fifty signs were placed in your yards
very lucky that the people
of but nor for his passion about our city in zaire what do you attribute that
type of a mandate to you
hopefully it was a well-run campaign and people listen to the message that we
spread
we think bettendorf is doing the right things were on the right
we want to keep that train if you will moving down the track
and there's some things that we can do to tweak it
make things better i'd like to
bring more commercial
growth to our corridors for of course of opportunity and i think that the people
bettendorf see the same things that i did
i think it is interesting 'cause we're talking about your campaign earlier and
and you do you do you consider yourself more of the moderate
um... in a political climate we're seeing extremes all over the place and
it's it's hard to rally behind moderate
and that's why it's kind it's doing that
not as an extremist not as a person making waves you still were able to
generate that type of a vote count
i agree we're very concerned specially with low voter turnout
yesterday and with the weather
that the
race might be made tighter because of those issues and we're lucky
entire community was very supportive and because our message was
we're staying the course there's things that we can change we need bettendorf to
remain
the safe family friendly community that is and i can do that
uh...
that's not a new message we're lucky ninety percent of people that live in
that bettendorf
love living there
i'm one of that ninety percent and i'm glad that those people
made their voice heard you're right it's great
many times you here
the voices from opposite polars therefore opposites and those are the
ones who go to the
these people out of speak the loudest
yesterday in bettendorf
the moderate
the normal citizen was heard
and i appreciate that well let's talk about some of the issues that uh... you
will be phased in one of the biggest issues that
kept coming up in the campaign was uh... the amount of debt that the city of
bettendorf has among all the quad cities seems to be the most
financially stable of them so it seems odd
they're talking debt would be an issue in that city
i'm glad you mention that
bettendorf is in great financial shape
if you think of city finance like a pie one of those pieces is our long-term
debt
after research in talking to the council members
our long-term debt which is higher than we'd like it
is high because they made prudent choices
to get infrastructure projects completed
when the money
to complete the project
could be borrowed at a low interest rate
and the people of the workers to complete the project could be had at a
discounted rate because of the
competition
in the construction market so well it is a concern it's nothing to be alarmed
about and that's one of the things that we tried to sell in the campaign
that is an issue we will work on that issue
just like we will any other issue that pops up
but it's nothing to be alarmed that now because our fund balances are very high
and we have
solid financial
with a solid
financial picture in bettendorf let's take that one step further 'cause you've seen
your fellow cities moline making major cutbacks east moline as well
now we got davenport talking about it uh... they're good was saying it doesn't
matter fact on this program last week that davenport is going to be facing some very deep
cuts
is bettendorf facing anything like that i mean is it gonna hit all of the
cities uh... in the quad cities
certainly we've done it other counsel before me
i can't take credit for out but their fiscal management that they've done a
nice job as have the two prior mayors
so they've done a great job in keeping fund balances high
and allowing us to move forward and keep the city moving on track
having said that
everything costs more money today as you're well aware
so the goods and services and amenities would provide a great citizens in
bettendorf
do cost us more money
and we know are at an intersection point where
income to the city through taxes into user fees
is
going to be
tested by
the great services amenities we provide
the cost of starting outweigh
in the revenue
and we have to do something there
i do not want to raise taxes
i do not want raise user fees than i do not want to make cuts across
the board or any part of our city what i do want to do his work very hard to
raise the commercial property taxes that we collected in bettendorf
by expanding our existing businesses and bringing new businesses
to bettendorf creating jobs for this community
and if we can do that
the income that we get
will offset those
concerns
right now we're fine
but those costs continue to rise and if our income or revenue streams don't
continue to rise we will face similar issues
'cause when you think of bettendorf for a lot of people used to think even more
as a uh... bedroom community
i'm not much industry if you were discount alcoa being in in riverside instead of
of bettendorf that's probably not fair but also the fact that
of the downtown really didn't prosper that much comparted to other cities but
you do have commercial quarters now im on fifty third up on the northside he
also had a long devils glenn and you do have the downtown
uh... in many ways coming back
uh... those areas those three commercial areas where you're really looking
to see uh... further growth
bettendorf has nine
quarter doors of opportunity in which we've seen some growth over the last
decade
the chorus of opportunity that i think we need to focus on now moving forward
are the i eighty middle road industrial park
the i-seventy four industrial park
riverside industrial park in the downtown
we need to attract the types of businesses that can thrive
in bettendorf because
of our educated workforce because of our location close to river rail in the two
interstates
that cross sect this country
and cause
we have people in bettendorf we say yes we can and how can we help
need to bring the businesses to bettendorf
in the areas of banking and insurance and IT
those are the people in the businesses that will thrive in bettendorf and when
we are able to do that
will jump start
commercial growth
that will help all of bettendorf i firmly believe we can continue to be
that bedroom community
while marrying with that
commercial corridors and that the two can pop uh... coexist very peacefully
because when you think of bettendorf once again you think they're northside
leaving the east side in the explosive housing growth
that you have seen in that area and you wonder can bettendorf or sustain that
we can sustain that
and we're going to have to bring goods and services to that part of our
community
goods and services again will cost us money police and fire we have to have
excellent response times there we have to have excellent
individuals
highly-trained to respond to those houses just like they do in downtown in
the heart of our city
last year
we had an increase in the building permits from about eighty seven i think
that numbers right two hundred fifty where you still around two hundred and
twenty two two hundred fifty
building permits
for new homes
were growing again
at a higher pace in the rest of the area and were poised to be a leader in growth
that's why on passion about moving bettendorf forward i know we can do it
together
a lot of city services that you to be looking at of course in the coming years and one
of them that also was brought up during the campaign of course is the life
fitness center of valuable asset to the community for some
bought me a facility that is necessarily generating enough income to run on its
own is that something you'll be taking a closer look at in the months to come
yes
the life fitness center was created a time when bettendorf
again led this area and maybe in the region
in looking at wellness for its
citizens
their weren't competing businesses that were close and provided the same types of
amenities
now that there are but they came later
you're right we do subsidize the fitness center
we're down almost a
half subsidy from two thousand ten to two thousand eleven
under twelve thousand sixty three thousand
that's because are park board staff in the folks who work the fitness center
have rearrange things that marketed better and weren't using that facility
more efficiently
that's to be commended
if we are going to take a look at
amenities and facilities
that we subsidize we have to look at that whole group
golf courses libraries children's museums
fitness centers we have to look at
all of what we do
we have to decide
what we want to be as a community
i believe we want to be a community that provides
all of our residents
great amenities
and places to go
and congregate
now that fitness centers used primarily
by our seniors and that's a great opportunity for them to dupes wellness
activities and some uh...
camaraderie activities in those things are important in a community
they're important in bettendorf because we care about those quality of life issues
you take office in january you're saying its a part-time job
mayor of the city never be part time job now like thirty hours
and you get the phone it in areas are you prepared for this
hope so having never service has mayor
hundred-percent prepared for it
have a full time law practice in bettendorf
I own that building in bettendorf and i intend to be a full-time attorney
one of the things that i've always done since coming back to bettendorf
nineteen ninety six
this volunteer my time
it chambers of commerce or to coach the youth of our community
that takes time out of my practice but because i'm an attorney i can go back in
the evening and get work done after i put kids to bed
or i can work weekends
to make sure that my clients receive the very best possible legal representation
that they can for me
that will continue
but my passion for the city is another part of my life
that's going to continue as well
lucky to be able to serve the city now
and it goes ribbon cuttings
and to be in those meetings in a different capacity
i was doing that for chambers i was doing that for school boards i was doing
that for schools foundations
by simply were different hat
so now that you're been elected you are mayorlike does the family now have to
treat you differently do your close friends have to call you mr mayor
uh... what what what what we demand among the people that are closest to you
half the community knows that he's not going to do that grew up that way here
most of them were my parents age or the females i went to high school with and
i'm still bobby them and that makes me feel good
i'm bob to the rest of your and that's how my kids
will still call me dad and they'll still
be frustrated when i'm doing this that or the other thing wrong cuz now they're
in seventh and eighth grade and of course that that age
they've learned
that i'm wrong if they're in that spot and they're terrific is a very very
lucky
uh... fantastically bright people that passions outside of school i could talk
about them forever
and they will continue to get one hundred percent
uh... effort
coaching their teams in being with them well if you're on the in four or eight
years you have to win over their votes now to dress right
mister mayor-elect congratulations and thanks so much what they should have
WQPT is joining other community groups to help keep students
in school and give them a chance to
mentor with the business leaders who can pave the way too good careers the
program is called
achieved quad cities
I think my favorite part is learning how it is to be
in junior high and again and also
uh... rachel excitement about reading and doing new things like these
outings are for both of us
and a lot of people are apprehensions beginning apprehension about
time commitment
probably really high on the list
and i find the kind passes like
like nothingi had some great teachers
and i also was involved in sports and when i looked back through certain
individuals just met the world
and it was because i've felt they cared about me
and i happened to me
and though that if i could be in that role
that would be super i wanted to do something that wasn't necessarily about
myself and my
my long term growth long term life and i'll i'll turn my i wanted to do something
that happened from finally got into the feel that there's a lot of there's
i have a new dog and she watches a lit of those dog and wealth of information
she has a nac for it that was on of her suggestion we are going to take a tour of the h
this year
and i believe the zoo that will be great and interesting
well i got for kids
pretty much grow and gone at this point
i love kids and i love helping kids out
during the teen age years
opporunity to give bac ka little bit and share my time with the kids
i've always been of kids
of different ages
my own grandaughters live out of town
so it's fun to uh... to do thing with tasha a young person to enjoy life with
so how is achieve quad cities making a difference in one quad cities school
joining me now is doctor michael overhouse superentendt of rock island milan school
good to have you with us
anything that keeps kids in school you gotta be you know raising the flag and
running with it and achieve quad cities s try to do just that how do you not embrace a
program like that we actually embrace acheive quad
cities
is a conglomeration of business uh... community organizations in schools
working together
to try to
uh... different strategies to keep kids engaged in wanting to stay in school
that's the crux of the matter right there you see kids day-in and day out
that schools just not for them
and you've also seen what happens to those kids when they do not graduate
there earning power
never really
catching hold especially in economy like that so
it's a lofty thing to say we keep the kids in school you see it
on the front lines of the time
absolutely uh... one of the things we know that every drop out in the quad cities area
uh... cost the community in their lifetime five hundred thousand dollars
of earning power and services
uh... with that's a big economic hit to the community we also know that in the
quad city area three children drop out of school every day
so if you would do the altercation that that's real money that uh... than
earnings and community services that are provided to the students so we want to
keep them in school and having be productive citizens long-term i
understand that over the next ten years achieve quad ciites is hoping to move
their graduation right
even higher where by five points correct title sent to work early at seventy nine
percent we moved it one year we've we've had one year of a achieve quad cities in place
we've seen a graduation rate movement seventy nine percent eighty point nine
percent within the graduate quad city area and that was kinda nice
about achieve quad cities is that you are going to be you got mile post that
you're keeping
track their progress here
absolutely we have a goal which is seven five percent uh... increase in
graduation rate over a ten year period that's monumental
uh... we hope we can break through that we had great success the first year and
the way that uh...acheive quad cities is helping us
is local businesses and community agencies actually provide volunteers to
uh... become career are mentors to students
uh... we have a career presentations are schools and we also have the opportunity
for students have interest in different businesses to go see in shadow
uh... those are all opportunities for community yet to get involved with the
schools to help us to get kids engage in want to be in school we'll see how
school connect with their
their goals beyond high school in new career it's gotta drive you nuts where
people think is school
is the school and it's not a part of the community in the community you know
you're teaching i don't have to get involved when is everybody trying to
help improve these kids' lives up to take the whole community you can just be
the hours a day that through school with us for a hundred seventy six days
it takes everybody to be involved uh...
were please of the community has stepped forward and said we understand
this is an issue not only for schools but for the community
and that we're going to help them achieve quad cities
is a conglomeration of that trying to work in unison line resources in the
purpose resources already being used in our community
to help push that needle of graduation forward face seeing what's worked over
the past year you know the up hill battle continues what do you hope to see in the
coming year
what would you want to build up on for one of things were looking for more on
volunteers to engage uh... within the community into to become mentors and
students for current avenues as we call them
uh... they can come into class and presentations about what your occupation
is one of the skills and and what kind of things kids should be doing to
prepare themselves for those occupations
uh... they can make your place of business available for us to take
children who
have those interest in their careers to show them what it looks like your
workplace what it feels like so we can keep them engagement easy and
link what they're learning during the day into how that's going to help them
be successful beyond high school
uh... the commitment of a volunteer to be anywhere from six hours a month down
an hour months of self by anyone who's interested in becoming a a volunteer
would love until i get onto achieve quad cities dot com and there are lots
of resources there to tell them how they get involved
as a mentor for as a presenter or as a job shadow opportunity for students we
have talks and the kids that have gotten involved in this program is for big
brothers big sisters or or or other ways
you must run into some kids say thanks for keeping me in school
absolutely the purpose of achieve quad ciites courses give another tool for its uh...
the child to become motivated
to have high expectations understand worker options are available to them and to
show them what those look like if you like to get them to have some
experiences with that
uh... it's a wonderful opportunity uh... we know that most of the folks who've
become mentors to our students
have a great experience so they just absolutely enjoy they are talking
about getting more out of it and the kids actually get out as who doesn't
want to talk about their own job in some ways means you can instill the love of
what you do to it
and while what greater job could you ever have by i don't know if there's
anything greater than that they're a lot of success stories i think
you've heard some of them earlier today
and we want to build upon that we want to grab momentum and move it forward
still lots of kids and it's a mentoring opportunities uh... in the quad cities area
so i know achieve quad cities is in
all the school districts in the quad cities but you want to talk about
rocky so what do you tell these people that they may have already graduated
from rocky
that are out there in the community have something to give
we saw a lot of student that sure can use some mentoring are we we've been blessed we've
had a hundred twenty mentors in our school district
and we've had some great success stories with that but we know we have a waiting
list of students that would love to uh... have a mentor to help them
navigate through
uh... career opportunities to look and in link their school education into
what's going to help them be successful beyond high school if you graduate from
rocky or someplace else what a great way to get back here
gave you so much absolutely will we encourage everybody again log on to it
achieve quad citiesdot com you more information
uh... you call us at the school district or a school district we'd love to hear
from people were always looking for volunteers to help our students be
successful about thanks so much for joining us
well the weather has certainly taken a turn toward winter lora adams has a
look at some of the things you do when you go
outand about
we've turned our clocks back giving us an extra hour to go out and about hi
i'm lora
adams wqpt is hosting a special event with curious george for current
and future kids club members will see a curious george feature film have popcorn
and juice and meet curious george in person quad city coral arts will be
singing barbers famous
oddness died and others for their fall concert and opera at augustana will
present the long christmas dinner in wallenberg hall that it was in junior
theatre presents dinner and movie second friday
each month november through march and humane society of scott county holds its
annual fall furstival all celebration giving thanks for past present and
future supporters of the shelter
the most loved holiday tradition in the quad cities flight for the arts festival
of trees is celebrating its twenty six the year
for more information on all of their events log on to their website
and what would the coming season be without the arrival of santa his first
stop in south park mall with a live from out with the west jordan
fesitval nuncrackers crackers opens at circa twenty one
dinner play house and the turn of the screw based on henry james's ghost story
place a limited run at the district theater
plus play crafters explores the comic to my mother leaving iowa in the
sentimental comedy about families and family vacations for information on
these and other events log on to wqpt
dot o_ r_ g_
thanks lora and actor steel after our starting the latest district theater
production of the turn of the screw
it starts november fifteenth at the district leader in rock island
so go out and say hi to her and enjoy a place use terrific and i'm sure
christmas is a magical time for kids in the quad cities is always gone the extra
mile with programs like toys for tots makes your kids gets gifts
what seniors
all too often they can be forgotten during the holidays
well joining me now is when gwen tombergs davenport board of CASI
seniors better known has CASI
board president as a matter of fact
and CASI part of the uh... he has santa for a senior program and and i
think that is what interesting you think what is toys for tots
you know kids light up that if they don't have present
but you think it's seniors
during the holidays many of them alone
and they're totally forgotten in some cases they are in fact there is that
a lot senior organizations
nursing homes that time not only did their family not live here
but uh... they don't have anyone visiting them they don't have a gifted
christmas time they may not have any family at all and so and this program
actually it's specificaly just to get gifts for seniors and over two
thousand seniors get gifts last year it's it's heartbreaker when you think of
what some of these seniors face and figure wi CASI you see some seniors
very
activity in the name of CASI i've course between all you just kind of
scratching the top of the iceberg of so many seniors that perhaps are taking
advantage of the programs that you offer well and that's one of the reasons why
CASI i got involved harmon said this is actually a national program at home
instead
one of the senior care organizations has
and that is so what we did was when we realized that there were seniors not
getting it get for christmas time that we became involved we actually do a
fundraiser caught they hat bash that raises money for justice typically for
this program we had a woman actually write a letter of thanks two years ago
that said that was the only present she got the holiday time had she not gotten
that she would have had christmas and so that's what started this whole uh...
is that if there are seniors not giving a gift and they're home alone or
they're in a nursing home what kind of a holiday is that
so we've got the big hat here what do you call that of what we call it the elephant in the
room
over what for so tell you about that that is going out that that is actually
hat bash after-work cocktail party at CASI night and within just a lot of
people don't even know where CASI is don't they think people live there it
really is a giant
community center that during the days seniors are very active there's all
kinds of things for them to do
and at night and on weekends there really is a community center so we throw
this gaint party and you can walk in at the door if you want it is food
and drinks and raffle in just a really great party
that's roughly renovated it is that i wanted two three years ago to me it just
seems brand new and it's just such a wonderful place
to get away from it all
and to enjoy other people
now we're talking also about the be a santa that uh... backpack took you off that for one
second
as you want on a walgreens is if you want to help out
that's where you can really help out and that is it was an important changed and
what we did was there's a tree inside every welgreens we have fifteen walgreens
the quad cites
and on the top of the tree is this uh... this tagged and it identifies the tree
and then i'm the tree are the tags of seniors asking for
items and an on on the tree is actually a list of what i tell you can find items
in dayton they're making a very easy for people to go by a gift and so if you
take a name off the tree you go by if you get to check out you can leave the
basket that bad and the name tag active um... checkout counter and then they can
just make sure the senior gift what a great one on one thing that you have a
mean you really feel like you're doing something special
for individual rather than just pouring out a check
system nameless faceless person it is and and that's one of the things that's
very hard uh... moving because when you see what little things that seniors
asked for
and in some of them just one it's hard to say that you know
dot body soap or kleenex it
you know um... stationary i mean this is something that they really don't have
how many seniors do you hope to help
uh... over two thousand
that's amazing
what we wish you good luck
once again walgreens stores you can see the uh... the tree to see_ the sign
suggestion and you can help us so many people
thanks jim quinn thank you so much i appreciate it we do also want to tell
you about something that's going on a wqpt
we have got
curious george coming to the quad cities in just so we have kid's club
members can come out to our offices in moline for special meeting greet plus
curious george plots a curious george feature film history popcorn and juice
sounds like a lot of fun it is coming up friday november eighteenth check out our
website of the wqpt dot org
for details
and of course you can catch us anytime on the air
on the web at wqpt dot org and also
on the mobile
thank you for staying connected
with the cities
production funding for the cities provided by a grant from the doris and
victor day foundation