Kenosha---Mayor John Antaramian has laid out some major initiatives even though he’s only been in office for six months. Both the City Council and Plan Commission will be asked this week to cast a series of votes in support of some of the projects, several of which involve transportation or infrastructure improvements.
Those proposals get high marks from Art Cyr, director of the Clausen Center for World Business at Carthage College, and frequent Morning Show guest. "Public transportation--including buses--is an important part of his comprehensive plan," Cyr says. "It's impressive that he's got such a detailed plan and that he's started to implement it so quickly after taking office."
Key projects include diverting a streetcar expansion grant to fund extensions of the municipal bus system, realigning Kenosha’s fire stations with the help of a HUD loan, and using tax incremental financing to build a downtown parking ramp and rebuild large portions of 22nd Ave., a major north-south thoroughfare.
So far no city council opposition has surface to any of the initiatives, even though a major component of Bob Johnson’s campaign against Antaramian in last spring’s election was the assertion that the city engages in too much borrowing. Antaramian handily defeated Johnson at the polls.
-0-