PEORIA, Ill. – The city of Peoria will continue to fund a workforce development program whose funding future is uncertain.
The council on Tuesday night unanimously voted to approve more than $41,000 in TIF funds to keep PeoriaCorps afloat for its current class of five.
The program was told to go on a pause by Serve Illinois, its state parent organization, after the Trump administration cut funding to its national organization, AmeriCorps. The city had been using settlement funds from the Edwards Power Plant to keep the program funded.
PeoriaCorps is designed to give job skills in an apprenticeship program aimed at 18-24 year olds. The focus locally provides training in green infrastructure, and relieves some of the duties of Public Works, such as litter pickup and planting of trees and shrubs.
In documents presented to the city council, the most recent class, or cohorts, of PeoriaCorps from October 2024 to April 2025 cared for more than 85 acres of green space in the city, cleaned up 718 bags of litter, and planted 24 shrubs at Fayette and Monroe.
“They are individuals who are showing up each and every day, working to beautify our communities, and it isn’t their fault that they’re being impacted by federal priorities that change from time to time,” said 4th District Councilman Andre Allen.
At-large Councilman John Kelly says PeoriaCorps is a program that the city should take on itself.
“I don’t know why it’s an important thing for the federal government to do, or the state government to do. They’re fighting wars and whatever. Building highways. This is something we ought to do, no matter what,” Kelly said.
PeoriaCorps program director Amelia Ohlrogge says the annual budget is around $424,000, with funding from a variety of sources.
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