8 takeaways from Mayor McNamara’s 8th State of the City address
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Mayor Tom McNamara delivered his eighth State of the City speech Monday night, offering a blend of optimism and caution about what the year ahead will offer.
McNamara, who is entering his third term as mayor, highlighted progress on public safety and economic development while warning that cutbacks at the state and federal level could strain the city’s budget.
“The year ahead of us will bring many tests. Our commitment, our values, and our partnerships will be challenged,” he said from City Council Chambers in City Hall. “The city and our community partners will face added strain — and if we’re not careful, the progress that we have made on behalf of all of our residents could be at risk.”
Related: Rockford mayor to launch new task force focused on pedestrian safety, reducing fatalities
Here are eight highlights from McNamara’s nearly 25-minute speech:
Funding concerns
The city will face new pressure on its budget from state and federal cutbacks, McNamara said.
Programs like Head Start, a no-cost early education initiative for children younger than 5, as well as LIHEAP energy assistance and some housing programs will be eliminated without federal funding.
McNamara said reductions to the state’s local distributive fund — which is the share of state income taxes sent to municipalities — have cost the city $108 million in revenue since he took office in 2017.
The fund stood at 10% until it was first cut under Gov. Pat Quinn in 2011. The rate is now 6.06% for individual income taxes and 6.85% for corporate income taxes. McNamara has previously backed several bills that would have increased the percentage to no avail.
He suggested the cuts and other municipal requirements handed down without funding are ironic given the state’s new Property Tax Working Group. He said the state doesn’t levy a property tax, and its cuts put further pressure on cities to make up for lost revenue with the property taxes they take in.
“Not only is the state taking our money, but it’s also requiring us to fund their new mandates — leaving us to be the adults and to figure out how to cover the additional costs,” he said. “So here’s a news flash. If we want to address property taxes it’s simple: You give us our money back and you stop the unfunded mandates, and then we can reduce the property tax burden on our residents immediately.”
He noted that despite the pressures, the city has held the line on property taxes. A Rock River Current analysis earlier this year showed Rockford is the only taxing body on a city property owner’s bill that has a lower total levy today than it did 10 years ago.
Will Rockford put a grocery tax in place?
In August, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill that eliminated the state’s 1% grocery tax starting Jan. 1, 2026.
However, that bill left open the option for local governments to enact their own grocery tax.
McNamara said the state was shifting the tax responsibility onto local leaders.
“For Rockford, choosing to keep this tax in place would preserve $6 million to $8 million in our city budget,” he said. “To put that into perspective, that amount is equivalent to funding between 60 and 80 police officers, or 60 to 80 firefighters, or 70 public works employees.”
McNamara didn’t give any indication yet whether he would push the tax forward for a City Council vote.
Juvenile arrests decline
The mayor said the city is making progress on reducing juvenile crime, as evidenced by a 21% reduction in juvenile arrests since 2022.
Rockford Police data provided to the Rock River Current upon request show arrests were down nearly 27% from 653 in 2023 to 479 in 2024. There have been 187 juvenile arrests through May 27 of this year.
“These numbers show progress, but they also remind us that public safety is not a finish line — it’s a daily commitment that requires our ongoing investment, our ongoing collaboration and innovation,” McNamara said.
The mayor said reducing crime requires a holistic approach that involves investing in police and crime-fighting technology, as well services such as workforce programs for at-risk young adults and support for youth who have faced trauma. He noted that the city is spending 58% more on police now than when he first took office.
| Year | Juvenile arrests |
| 2022 | 608 |
| 2023 | 653 |
| 2024 | 479 |
| 2025* | 187 |
Source: Rockford Police Department (* YTD as of May 27)
Family Peace Center move coming
In 2020, Rockford opened Illinois’ first and only Family Peace Center, a one-stop hub designed to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Since then, it has served more than 2,200 survivors and 500 children, McNamara said in his speech.
It has also expanded with more than three times as many partner agencies as it had when it opened at 315 N. Main St. in downtown. That growth required a larger space, and over a year ago the city approved spending $1 million of American Rescue Plan funding to purchase the former Hart Interim Library, 214 N. Church St., for the new Family Peace Center.
McNamara said Monday that move should happen within the next year.
“In the next 12 months, the Family Peace Center will move into a new, much larger space and expand its partner organizations to more than 35,” he said. “These organizations will operate under one roof for the sole purpose of supporting survivors and their children.”
Collaboration on education
McNamara said that while the city government doesn’t control Rockford Public Schools, a strong school system is key to Rockford’s success.
“This year, the school board will make one of the most significant decisions of the next decade on behalf of our students and on behalf of our families. They will be selecting a new superintendent,” he said, referring to Ehren Jarrett’s decision not to renew his contract when it expires next year. “I have offered my assistance and advice and the resources of the city of Rockford to help ensure that this selection process leaves us with the strongest possible leader for the third-largest school district in the state of Illinois.”
McNamara said that schools alone can’t turn around Rockford’s troubling educational outcomes.
He noted several initiatives that work in collaboration with the schools to help improve education, including:
- United Way of Rock River Valley’s United for Literacy initiative, which aims to foster a love of reading at a young age and improve low literacy scores.
- Alignment Rockford and the Winnebago County Health Department’s Winning Start Winnebago program that provides free in-home visits from a nurse to ensure children are on the right track for success.
- The new Goodwill Excel Center, which provides adults with a tuition-free path to a high school diploma and is welcoming its first students this fall.
- Rockford Promise, a free college tuition program that now has 400 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University. About 70% of those enrolled through the program are first-generation college students.
- A new coalition designed to bridge the digital divide and help equip residents with the digital skills they need for today’s workplaces.
“As a city, we must embrace a shared sense of responsibility and active commitment to supporting our students and their success,” McNamara said.
Big construction season
The city is tackling more than $96 million worth of road and infrastructure improvements this summer. That includes nearly double the amount of infrastructure funding for neighborhood-level improvements, McNamara said. Nearly 500 individual projects are set to take place this summer.
This year’s work is moving forward after City Council approved a five-year, $343.5 million capital plan. It’s the largest plan by dollar amount in the city’s history.
Davis Park overhaul
A plan that has been in development for years to revamp Davis Park will move forward this summer, with a measure set to go before City Council in the coming weeks.
McNamara said construction should begin after the city hosts its first ever Ironman 70.3 triathlon on June 22.
“Immediately after the Ironman, we will begin the renovation of Davis Park,” he said. “The redevelopment of Davis Park is a long time coming. We started with a task force of citizens back in 2018, and then we continued our engagement of the council as well as our community. Surveys show that residents want this riverfront turned into a welcoming and activated space for all to use and for all to share.”
The changes include a new playground, skatepark, recreation path, stage for concerts, concession stands, restrooms and pieces of public art.
Focus on housing needs
A critical shortage of homes for sale has turned Rockford into one of the most competitive housing markets in the country, earning the title of hottest market from multiple agencies over the past year. It still remains on those lists, ranking at No. 6 in Realtor.com’s latest list of the hottest markets.
The low inventory of homes has also sent prices skyrocketing, hitting record highs multiple times over the past year.
McNamara noted that City Council recently extended a three-year property tax rebate for new home construction, something that previously helped spur the most homebuilding in the city since the Great Recession.
He said in the last 30 months the city has seen 1,700 housing units — either for lease or purchase — planned in the city.
“We need to have great pride in where we are from and the work we are doing. Others are taking note. For the first time in more than two decades our populating is growing,” McNamara said. “And, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it’s growing on heels of the launch of the Made for Rockford campaign that’s been led successfully by GoRockford.”
McNamara said he believes Rockford’s best chapters are yet to be written.
“But let me be clear — the state of our city is strong, and our resolve and resilience is even stronger. We’ve overcome adversity before, and I know we will do so again,” he said. “By standing together we will preserve our momentum and continue building a future filled with hope, opportunity and progress for all Rockford residents.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
