2026 vs. 2027
Citywide financial measures · millions of dollars
2026 estimated2027 proposed
Hover or focus on bars for exact figures. Capital costs are a separate measure and should not be added to expenditures.
Listening • Leading • Building Community
A stronger community. A brighter Rock Island.
Welcome to a community information hub for Alderwoman Linda Barnes. Learn about city decisions, explore budget resources, and share the questions that matter to you.
Ask Linda a QuestionExplore the Budget
Welcome
Keeping residents in the conversation
This website is a place to make local government easier to understand and easier to participate in. Find plain-language explanations, links to official city information, and a way to submit questions or concerns.
Stay informed
Clear city updates
Follow important topics and understand which decisions are being considered.
Understand the numbers
Budget transparency
See how the operating budget and long-term capital projects differ.
Your voice matters
Community questions
Share questions about streets, services, neighborhoods, and city priorities.
Public meetings
Rock Island City Meetings & Agendas
Browse city meetings by month. Select a meeting to see available official links. Information is supplied by the City of Rock Island; always confirm details with the city.
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Source: Official Agenda & Minutes portal · Official city calendar. Meeting and agenda availability depends on the city's published feeds.
Around Ward 3
Ward 3 developments & community updates
News about neighborhood developments, housing, services, and other local activity. Project information and status should be confirmed with the relevant organizations.
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Ward 3 business spotlight
Meet our local businesses
Photos and stories submitted for this community directory. Listings are informational and do not imply an endorsement by the City of Rock Island.
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Meet your alderwoman
Biography · Linda Barnes
ElectedApril 1, 2025TermMay 12, 2025 – May 2029
Linda Barnes brings more than 35 years of public service and financial leadership experience to her role as Alderwoman for the City of Rock Island.
Public service & leadership
Linda began her public service career with Scott County Government in 1988 and joined the City of Rock Island in 2001 as a fiscal technician. Over the course of her career, she advanced through the organization and retired in 2023 as Finance Director. She also served as Director of Finance for Community Home Partners in Rock Island.
Community involvement
A dedicated community leader, Linda has served on numerous boards and commissions, including Dress for Success Quad Cities, the MLK Jr. Community Center, the Rock Island County NAACP, the Rock Island Human Rights Commission, and the United Way Strategic Investment Panel. In recognition of her service and leadership, she received the Community Caring Conference Leadership Award in 2022.
Education
Linda holds an Associate's Degree in data processing from Northwest Mississippi Community College, a Bachelor's Degree in elected studies (accounting and business management) from St. Ambrose University, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois Springfield.
Family & commitment
Linda and her husband, Aubrey Barnes, a Marine Corps veteran, are longtime Rock Island residents. They are proud parents of Aubrey K. Barnes, an educator and poet; Brieanna Barnes, a certified athletic trainer; and the late Benjamin Barnes.
Linda is committed to responsive leadership, fiscal responsibility, and strengthening the quality of life for all Rock Island residents.
Ask Linda a QuestionYour city budget, explained
2027 Proposed Budget
A plain-language look at the figures in the City of Rock Island’s November 9, 2026 budget workshop binder. Explore the numbers, compare years and follow the decision process.
PROPOSED • NOT YET APPROVEDFigures reflect the workshop binder and may change during City Council review.
Citywide expenditures · proposed 2027$130.57M2026 estimate: $130.51M
Citywide revenues · proposed 2027$119.85M2026 estimate: $114.31M
Capital costs · proposed 2027$14.47M2026 estimate: $4.55M
Property tax levy · proposed 2027$19.31M2026 estimate: $18.73M · +3.09%
Source: Budget Binder, General Administration performance measures (PDF page 6). These are citywide measures, not General Fund-only amounts. The difference between these revenue and expenditure figures should not be interpreted as a citywide deficit without accounting for funds and transfers.
General Fund outlook
Annual projected change in fund balance · millions of dollars
The chart shows projected annual changes, not ending cash balances. Source: General Fund five-year projection, final section of the binder (includes 2027–2032).
What stands out?
Capital costs
Proposed at $14.47 million, compared with the $4.55 million 2026 estimate. Review the CIP for the specific projects behind this change.
Personnel costs
Proposed at $72.04 million, compared with the $68.54 million 2026 estimate.
General Fund
Projected 2027 revenue is $48.80 million versus $52.87 million in expenditures, a $4.07 million projected reduction in fund balance.
Explore department budgets
Select a department to compare its total proposed spending with the 2026 adopted budget. These figures come from department tables and include different funds; do not add them together as a citywide total.
All department sections are listed. Public Works contains multiple utility and operating funds, so its individual fund budgets are shown in the source binder rather than presenting an unverified department-wide sum.
Key dates
Nov 9, 2026Budget presentation to City Council
Nov 23, 2026Truth in Taxation public hearing
Dec 14, 2026Budget public hearing and first reading
Dec 21, 2026Scheduled second reading and CIP plan approval
Dates from the supplied 2027 Department Budget Schedule; confirm with official meeting notices.
Go straight to the source
Every number here comes from the supplied city materials. Read the complete binder or ask a question about what you see.
Read full 147-page budget binder (PDF) View budget schedule Ask a budget questionDashboard prepared October 28, 2026 using the November 9 workshop binder. Independent informational prototype; not an official City of Rock Island publication.
October 26, 2026 • Proposed Capital Improvement Plan
Explore Rock Island’s 2027–2031 capital projects
Search all 84 projects in the city's October 26, 2026 CIP presentation. Amounts are projected expenditures, not contract awards or proof that work has started. Future-year figures are planning estimates and may change.
Proposed 2027 CIP$14.725M
Projects in plan84
All years, including prior$163.044M
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Important: This is a citywide CIP, not a list of Ward 3-only projects. The plan generally does not assign ward numbers. No project is labeled as Ward 3 without a verified location. Citywide equipment and programs are listed here but not pinned to a street address. Read the original October 26 agenda packet (PDF) (CIP starts on page 5).
Explore your neighborhood
Ward 3 interactive project map
Explore Ward 3 and mark places where you would like to see improvements. Green markers are community suggestions saved in this browser only—not official city projects. The shaded Ward 3 outline is an approximate tracing from a supplied city-map screenshot, not an official GIS boundary. For project costs and schedules, see the City Projects tab. The blue project markers show approximate locations of identifiable CIP work in the Ward 3 area; these are not survey-grade locations or proof of construction.
Map tiles require an internet connection. You can still use the rest of the website offline.
● Green Your local suggestions ● Blue: proposed CIP projects (approximate)
Map opens focused on Ward 3. The green outline is approximate, traced from a screenshot—not a verified legal boundary. The blue markers are approximate locations inferred from named streets or addresses in the October 26, 2026 CIP, not exact construction footprints. Only clearly identifiable projects within the approximate Ward 3 area are mapped; this is not an exhaustive ward-project inventory. For exact ward limits and project status, consult official city sources. View the supplied boundary reference.
We want to hear from you
Ask a question or share a concern
Have a question about the budget, a neighborhood issue, city services, or a proposed project? Use this form to organize your message.
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